Moments of Bliss
by moonymaniac
Summary: Remus Lupin is a man with a tragic past, one filled with pain, suffering and sorrow. But it is also a past filled with great adventure, true friendship and...love? Marauder's Era. Remus centric but loads of the Marauders. Mainly RLOC, with some JPLE.
1. Prologue: Notes on a Life

**MOMENTS OF BLISS**

**DISCLAIMER:** As always, JK Rowling is the genius who created and owns the Potter Universe. I have just sent some of my friends over to play.

**A/N:** _If you are confused about the appearance, disappearance and reappearance of this chapter, see my profile._ _This story is classified as a romance although, that won't start for a few chapters. If you find Remus and his friends as intriguing as I do, you want to know everything about him. So, this story starts from the very beginning, through his childhood and on. _

_I believe it will be rated T (it is a sort of coming-of-age saga). I don't expect it to go higher than that but, if it did, it would be for theme/language issues and not anything of a graphic nature …. Just a heads-up._

**PROLOGUE: Notes on a Life**

The woman sat quietly at the kitchen table pressing a piece of parchment onto a page in the book she had laid open before her. She had sandy brown hair and an attractive, warm face. Her eyes glistened as the tell tale sign of a tear streak could be seen on her cheek. She flipped the book over and started to thumb through the pages of the journal.

_**Richard and Regina Lupin**_

_**Joyfully announce the birth of**_

_**Their son**_

_**Remus John**_

_**Born March 10, 1960**_

_**At 2:28 a.m.**_

_**7 pounds 8 ounces**_

_**20.5 inches long**_

She looked at another page which held pictures of her at a younger age holding a baby. Though she looked tired, the joy was evident in her bright smile.

_May 3, 1960_

_Please forgive a mother's bias but, isn't he perfect? I feel so very blessed. Remus was born with such a sweet nature and seldom cries unless his nappy needs changing or he is hungry. He is such a pleasure. When he looks up at me with those sweet brown eyes, my heart just melts. Enough gushing…for now._

_I can't wait to show him off to Lucinda and Rolph and the girls. I don't want to be one of those women who talk of nothing but their child but, I can't help myself. He is brand new. I'm sure they will forgive me …for a while anyway._

She flipped through several pages as she took a sip from the teacup sitting on the table.

_March 2, 1961_

_Lucinda, Rolph and the girls will be here in a few days. I'm looking so forward to their visit. I know Remus is too young to really appreciate a full party, but how often does a child turn one? _

_He took his first steps today. Four in a row before he fell and laughed his little head off then tried again... and again…and again… I'm so glad he isn't easily frustrated. Nothing seems to get him down. But, I have to be sure to keep the doors locked or he'll get away. He's a natural born adventurer. _

_May 15, 1961_

_Wow, Richard is being promoted to Associate Minister of Magizoology. It is a wonderful opportunity for him but, we will be relocated to France for a few years. He will be responsible for establishing a branch for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in Alsace and will then serve as liaison between the Ministry and the French Ministére. He is very excited about it since he will have an opportunity to study the creatures of that region more closely. I, on the other hand will probably just put on 20 pounds when I acquire a taste for macaroons and wine. I don't know how long we'll be there but, hopefully we will be back before Remus starts school. I really want him at Hogwarts even though Beauxbatons has a fine reputation. Of course, that's a few years off so I shouldn't start worrying quite yet._

_September 4, 1962_

_Richard will be in Ireland next week to collect a flock of Augureys. Apparently, there is a farm that has become infested and the owners want them gone before the rainy season gets underway. He will get to see Rolph and they plan to catch the Quidditch match that weekend. He is taking Remus along even though I told him a 2 and a half year old won't care anything about Quidditch. Men! Fortunately, Remus is very patient. As long as he has a book to look at, he will sit there quietly. I think I have a reader on my hands. Thank goodness._

_July 18, 1963_

_Richard and I took Remus for a visit to Ireland to see Lucinda and Rolph. It was so good to get away and Remus can't stop talking about it. He has asked me every morning when we will go back so Dad and Uncle Rolph will take them to find "mooncow poop" again. He helped me spread it and the garden I have this year is truly amazing. We'll never eat it all. _

_I love these pictures of the children catching luna flies. I was so afraid Remus would crush them, but he is so gentle._

_I had to owl Lucinda and have them return a leprechaun to the forest. I don't know how Remus managed to sneak it all the way home. Mischievous little bugger._

_March 14, 1964_

_These are pictures of Remus and his cousins Shannon and Leah at his birthday party. I was so glad they got to come in for it. Remus would have been terribly disappointed if he hadn't seen his cousins. He simply adores the puffskein, too. _

_March 16, 1964_

_Today, Remus got in real trouble for the first time. He sneaked off to the lake by himself. Somehow, he managed to catch a Grindylow and hide it in the bathtub. Quite a shock when I went to run his bath, I'll tell you. It was very difficult for Richard to act angry when he was practically bursting with pride. But, Remus has to learn to have a healthy respect for these dangerous creatures. Still, I hated to see him in trouble. He's such a good boy; even if he did think it was funny when I practically jumped into the toilet when I saw that thing in my tub!_

_June 11, 1964_

_Lucinda and Rolph kept Remus for four days, while Richard and I were in South America. We had a wonderful trip. Richard was so excited to see a Peruvian Vipertooth and wanted desperately to share the experience with his son. I, on the other hand, was gladRemus was safe in Ireland. He had a wonderful time and helped me make a batch of fudge beetles (his favourite) to send to Lucinda to say thanks. _

_On our way home from picking him up, we stopped in London and saw Richard and Rolph's mum and dad. Granny Beatrice took Remus to the Muggle library and he had a wonderful time. Apparently the library was featuring a new children's book on gypsies and had a display with a crystal ball. Of course, Beatrice had to explain that Remus has a very vivid imagination to a couple of Muggles when he told their children how his father makes fun of our neighbor for reading her crystal ball. I guess the Muggles thought Remus was deranged, so Bea bought him the book and left. Now we read it every night. I think Remus has a crush on the main character which tickles Richard to no end. He just ruffles Remus' hair and says "My boy knows a pretty girl when he sees one!" Men! I mean, Remus is 4 for Merlin's sake! Between you and me, I think all men worry a bit about their son's masculinity. I think Richard worries just because Remus is so gentle and kind natured. He doesn't seem to realize his son is just like him and I am so thankful he is. Richard just sees how different he is from the boys up the street. They are such bullies and so destructive. They'll end up in Azkaban some day. I'm so glad Remus is a sweet child_.

The woman tensed when she turned to a page that was crinkled, stained and smeared. Obviously something had spilled on it and rather than magically refreshing it, the page had been left to dry normally.

_Oct. 12, 1964_

_Something horrible has happened. I don't know if I can bear this. We almost lost Remus two nights ago. He is stabilized now and the healers believe he will survive. For that, I am so very thankful. I couldn't bear to lose him. Still, we are in for a rough time. Remus has been infected with lycanthropy. It is a miracle that he survived the attack but, there are some who don't seem to agree. Richard has taken a leave of absence from the ministry, at least until Remus can leave the Hospital which will be after the next full moon. I don't know what I am going to do. Thank God Richard is so strong. I have to tell Lucinda and Rolph but, I just don't know how. I can't stop crying. _

_Richard said he would tell them through the floo. He says we need to keep this as quiet as possible, for Remus' sake. It all sounds so frightening. _

A tear ran off the woman's chin and added another smudge to the crinkled parchment.

_Nov. 13, 1964_

_We brought Remus home today. He is still so weak. Fortunately, he had a wonderful healer who was so kind to us all. Not all at the hospital were. Some of the nurses refused to care for him. It was infuriating. Nurses should know better than to think he is a danger to them when it isn't full moon. It has me so worried about how people who don't know better will react when they find out._

_I still can't believe this has happened. Poor Richard is feeling so responsible because he is the one who taught Remus about the mooncalf. Of course, I should have seen to it that the doors were locked. Who would have thought a 4 year old would go searching for "mooncow poop" by himself? But, he saw the full moon out his window and knew the mooncalves would be active. Why do they both have to come out only at the full moon? How many times did Richard take him out to gather mooncalf dung? Never once did they encounter so much as a hair off of a werewolf. Why did Remus have to be born so curious? _

_Well, why's and what-if's don't solve anything, do they? I'm looking forward to Christmas. Hopefully, being with loved ones and celebrating will be good for us all. It is something to look forward to, at least. Lucinda and Rolph will be there with the girls. It will be so good to see them. We need something to take our minds off things. Not that anything really could._

_Dec. 27, 1964 _

_We just spent a few days at Granny and Pop Lupin's. Lucinda and Rolph ended up not coming because they said Shannon was ill. I can't help but wonder. It was a very quiet visit without the other children. Remus is still weak, but he would have enjoyed the company. He hasn't had anyone to play with for a while. He did play with the Muggle boy who lives next door to Beatrice; though I think the child was a bit frightened by Remus' scars. I'll be so glad when they fade. I asked him if it bothered him for the boy to stare and he said "Well, they are rather gruesome. We still had fun playing." He is handling this so much better than I. He was blessed with a strong character, thank goodness. He is really going to need it, I'm afraid. _

_Richard did get tickled by Remus telling the boy he was attacked by a Hippogriff. He had to explain that the boy was a Muggle and they don't believe in Hippogriffs. Remus said next time, he'd say it was a shark attack while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. I hate encouraging him to lie, but I don't see that there is an option. We are already having trouble in the neighborhood. But enough of that, I'm trying to take lessons from my 4 and a half year old in understanding and avoiding bitterness. _

_February 1, 1965_

_Well, we will be moving on the 12th of this month. Richard has resigned from the Ministry and has taken a job with a Hippogriff breeder for the time being although he hopes to go into business for himself as a private consultant so that he will have more flexibility to help me with Remus. We have found a place in North Wales a few miles outside of Llanberis. It is rather remote and Richard believes it will be a good place for Remus. I'm afraid he will be lonely, but we are concerned for his safety. The house was vandalized last week and one of the boys up the street actually threw a rock at him. Fortunately, it hit him in the thigh and only left a bruise. How can people be so cruel to such a sweet child, as if he doesn't suffer enough already? Of course, how can you expect children to act any better when their parents are as bad or worse. I almost exploded when he told me it was because they were afraid of him now. He said things would be better when they learned that he wouldn't hurt them unless it was full moon and they realized we would keep him locked up when he was dangerous. That precious child made me promise to keep him locked up when he was dangerous! It will break his heart when he realizes that won't be enough for many people. How do you explain prejudice to a little child? How do you tell him that people don't want to learn the truth? _

_I'm just so afraid of what this will do to him. What will happen to my happy, kind little boy when he realizes there will be far more rejections than acceptances in his once very promising life? He has been talking about school since he turned four. I can't bear to tell him he can't go now. Richard said we can tell him in a year or so. Might as well spread the disappointments out. Doesn't that sound bitter? _

_Oh well, I'll be glad to be back in Great Britain at any rate. At least there, the only ones who know are people Richard told himself, so, at least they can be trusted. Richard has some connections there and hopefully, we will be able to find people willing to teach Remus privately. Of course, Richard is an excellent teacher himself, in many subjects. We will make this work._

_Remus' birthday is next month. I have invited Lucinda and Rolph to bring the girls. I have a sinking feeling there will be a reason they cannot come. My sweet little boy, I can't believe he will be five years old. _

_We have an appointment with the healer in a little while. She is just about the only thing I will miss at this point. _

_March 5, 1965_

_Well, it looks like Lucinda and Rolph won't be able to make it for Remus' birthday. Supposedly, Leah has a music recital of some sort. I didn't know she was taking lessons. Remus was looking forward to having someone to play with and showing the girls around the new place. It is quite lovely, really. But, he says it would be better in the spring, anyway. I told him maybe then. I hate to lie to him. Richard says we have to start being more forthright with him.Remus is so intelligent, I know he'll understand more than I think he will, but I can't stand to see the disappointment in his big brown eyes. _

_August 8, 1965 _

_We just got back from a visit with Richard's parents and Remus had a wonderful time going into Muggle London and visiting the library. He got to play with the little boy next door; his name is David, by the way. Beatrice told us Rolph has been transferred to Australia. I hope they will all be happy there. It is so far away. We'll miss them. Of course, we already do_.

She flipped through a few more pages with pictures chronicling the life of a happy and curious young boy. His hair was light brown and he had large, thoughtful brown eyes. There were fading scars on his pale but charming face and though his eyes were lively and bright, they were often framed by dark circles as though he had not slept. There were pictures of him with various animals and creatures. There were some with his mother and some with his father, a tall man with medium brown hair and brown eyes similar to the boys. He was a handsome man with a face very similar to the boys but with more color and minus the scars, save a small nick here and there. He looked like an active man who spent a good bit of time out doors. However, there were very few pictures of the boy with other children. The few that there were had _Remus and the Lupins' neighbor, David_ written under them. The last picture showed the boy smiling up as he closed his eyes and then blew out eleven candles on a chocolate frosted cake. Underneath the picture was written: _March 10, 1971 What did you wish for, Remus?_

Finally, she wiped a tear from her cheek and flipped to the last page of the journal. She re-read the letter she had just added.

_July 10, 1971_

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lupin,_

_I would like to schedule a meeting with you to discuss the possibility of inviting your son, Remus to attend school at Hogwarts this coming term. I am aware of his special circumstances, but feel certain there are precautions we can take to ensure his and the other student's safety. I would like to discuss these with you so that things can be arranged to the satisfaction of all parties. I am available on the following dates. Please let me know if and when it is convenient for me to drop by. _

_July 15, 2:30 pm July 16, 2:30 pm _

_If neither of these times is convenient, please let me know and we can work something out._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore __Headmaster, __Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

She closed the book and ran her hand lovingly over the smooth leather cover before hugging it to her chest as more tears ran down her smiling face.


	2. A Wish Come True

**_July 20, 1971_**

Eleven year old Remus Lupin sat at the small table in his family's kitchen watching his mother fix breakfast while his father read the Daily Prophet. This was their normal morning routine, but he knew there was something going on that they were keeping secret by the way his mother kept sneaking glances at him. He just didn't know what. It wasn't like them to keep him in the dark about things. Ever since he was very small, they had been open and honest with him. But for almost a week, they had seemed suspiciously quiet. Ever since that old man with the silver hair had come to the house and they had made him play down at the barn. He hadn't even been introduced. That had been a huge disappointment considering the fact that they had so few visitors. When he asked them about the visitor, they had been unusually vague.

"He is just someone who is going to try to help us get you the best education we can, Remus," said his father.

"Is he going to be my tutor?"

"No. He has connections with some fine teachers, though."

"You mean I'll have more than one?" Remus was excited at the prospect. He had always enjoyed people. Unfortunately, his condition usually prevented him from maintaining relationships.

"I don't know, Remus. He's looking into it. Here, help me get these gnomes out of your mother's garden."

Since that day, he had caught them glancing at one another, and more than once, he had walked in on a conversation that had immediately died. He was starting to get worried, especially since he had noticed his mum tearing up on several occasions. Today, she seemed to be preoccupied with the kitchen window. Every couple of minutes, she would stop what she was doing and look out the opening over the sink. _"What is she looking for?_" he wondered as he refilled his glass with pumpkin juice.

He heard a soft hooting and looked up to see Henrietta, the family owl, flying across the back yard. When the bird crossed over the sill, his mother glanced at his father with a look of nervous expectation. His father leaned forward in anticipation and placed his hastily folded paper on the table. What were they expecting in the post? The last time his father had been this interested in the post, he had been expecting a shipment of snidget eggs. His father had taken great pride in being given the responsibility to hatch the rare birds and raise them until they were old enough to be released into the nearest reserve. Remus wondered what exotic creature Henrietta might be bringing this time. Of course, it would have to be awfully small to fit in a letter sized envelope.

But, instead of flying to either of his parents, the tawny owl landed on the table in front of him. Remus looked at the bird questioningly. He had never gotten owl post before. At least not that he could remember. He felt a rush of excitement flood over him.

"Go on, Remus, see what it is," said his father with a barely suppressed grin.

He untied the letter and saw the address written in green ink:

_Mr. R. Lupin  
The Kitchen Table  
Lupin Lodge  
North Wales_

"This is addressed to you, Dad," said Remus, the disappointment evident in his voice. He started to hand the letter to his father. "See, Mr. R. Lupin."

"And what does Remus start with?" his father joked. "Henrietta delivered it to you. It must be yours. Go on and open it."

Remus rolled his eyes at himself and laughed. "Right, I wasn't thinking." He tore into the envelope excitedly, yet careful not to tear whatever was inside. His heart started racing at the first word. By the time he finished reading, he could barely breathe.

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY** _

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,  
Chf. Warlock, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1, 1971. We await your owl by no later than July 31, 1971.

Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall,  
_Deputy Headmistress_

He stared at the letter in his hands. He felt a lump forming in his throat and thought he might choke. His eyes began to burn. Was this a mistake or some sort of sick joke?

"What does it say, Remus?" asked his father.

"I think it's a mistake," he managed to say through the tightening in his throat. "I mean… it can't be…It says …It says I've been accepted to Hogwarts. That can't be right…"

"It isn't a mistake, Son," said his father gently. "If you want to go, you can. That man who visited last week was Albus Dumbledore. He arranged it."

Remus felt tears welling up in his eyes. He struggled against them. He hadn't cried in years, but he couldn't remember ever being so happy. He had not allowed himself to hope for this since he was six years old. He had read every book he could find on Hogwarts knowing he would never get to experience it for himself. He had practically memorized _Hogwarts, A History_. And now, he was going to get to go, after all. He could hardly believe it. He looked back down at the letter that was never supposed to come, _his _Hogwarts Letter. A huge grin broke on his father's face. Remus couldn't help himself as he jumped up out of the chair and let out a loud shout.

"I take that to mean you want to go?" said his father who was now laughing heartily.

His mother covered her mouth and tears spilled down her cheeks as she watched her quiet and reserved son dance around the kitchen in an uncharacteristic display of glee. No, this wasn't happiness. It was a true moment of bliss.


	3. The Journey Begins

**The Journey Begins **

Remus awoke early on the morning of September first, 1971. It was a testament to his excitement for the start of school. With it being only the third day after the full moon, he normally would have slept at least another hour, and then, the stiffness and aches and pains that were the result of his transformation would have made him want to stay in bed even longer. But not today.

He got up and proceeded to get ready for the trip to Hogwarts. Looking at his reflection in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, he could see that his bruises had all but vanished. The new bruise-healing paste his mum had found at Slug & Jiggers Apothecary during their trip to Diagon Alley was much better than the old one. _Someday, someone will invent one that heals bruises in a day,_ he thought hopefully. Most of the cuts and bites were healing nicely, although, there was a pretty nasty one on his upper right arm. There just wasn't much one could do about werewolf inflicted wounds. So, he was awfully thankful for the fact that the school robes would cover everything except his face and hands. Nicked up hands were easy enough to explain away, especially for an eleven year old boy. The cut on the side of his face could be from just about anything; running through the woods, his owl, or a dog. As he scrutinized his appearance, he thought it was too bad he was still peaky and scratched up, not to mention sore and tired, for the first day at school. But overall, the timing of the full moon couldn't have been better. Now, he would have almost an entire month before the next transformation. He was nervous about that. He had never awakened from one without his mum there to care for him.

_Don't be a baby, Remus. You're eleven and a half years old!_ he told himself._And, you are going to HOGWARTS!_ The reflection in the mirror broke into a wide grin.

His mum and dad escorted him on the train ride to King's Cross Station and onto platform 9 and ¾. When his eyes fell upon the gleaming scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express, the breath caught in his throat. It finally hit him that he was really going. He decided, in that moment, that Albus Dumbledore was truly the greatest wizard who had ever lived.

Remus waited excitedly as a handful of passengers disembarked from the train cars before the students were allowed to board. Among them was a girl about his age with long dark hair pulled back in a barrette. His gaze followed her as she walked by but the conductor called for boarding and he turned back to the steaming engine of the Hogwarts Express. He was nearly bursting with excitement. He hugged his parents unashamedly as his mother tried but failed to fight back tears. He knew she was happy for him, but also worried.

"It'll be alright, Mum," he said reassuringly. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before gently pushing him towards the train. In his excitement, Remus didn't suspect that she gave no reply for fear of her voice cracking and releasing the sobs she would save for their trip home.

"Good luck, Son," said his father, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let us know how you're doing… And have FUN!"

He waved one last time and climbed on board. When he came to an empty compartment, he settled into a window seat and waited…and watched. The platform quickly became crowded with families loaded down with trunks and animal cages. Amid the chaos, Remus witnessed many goodbyes, some rushed and some tearful. As a mother hugged her young daughter, tears running down the woman's reddened face, Remus noticed he wasn't the only one interested in the emotional display. The dark-haired girl he had seen earlier was standing next to a column just outside his compartment window watching with great interest. He found himself wondering about her: where had she been, why was she getting off instead of on; she looked like she should be in school? After a moment, the young woman who had accompanied the girl off the train walked up and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"That will be us next year," she said wistfully, watching the crying mother and daughter.

"But we won't cry," said the girl.

"Speak for yourself. Are you that anxious to leave your poor mum?" asked the woman. She mocked a small pout and the girl smiled.

"No," said the girl guiltily. "But I can't wait to go to Hogwarts!" Her wide eyes flashed brightly. "Why couldn't we stay with Rosmerta another day so we could see the students arrive?"

"You get to see them leave, isn't that enough? Come on, Lindi, I'm getting you out of here before you decide to stowaway in someone's trunk. _You _might be ready for Hogwarts, but I'm not!" The woman grabbed the girl's hand and started to drag her off. Before she went willingly, she looked up and caught him watching her. She smiled, looking rather envious and gave him a tiny wave. He smiled back and was a bit unnerved by the strange flutter in his stomach. It must have been the excitement of seeing so many new people. Yes, that was it, what else could it be?

When the girl and her mum had disappeared through the barrier from platform 9 and ¾, Remus turned his attention to the corridor as people passed by his compartment, laughing and calling to friends. He noticed some who were obviously first years, as well. They were wandering about with nervous excitement. He hoped someone would come and join him so he wouldn't be all alone for the journey and after a few minutes, the door opened and a boy with shaggy ginger hair and a rather bemused look on his face stepped inside.

"Mind if I sit here?" the boy asked as he stowed his trunk.

"Not at all," said Remus brightly. The boy took the seat across from him and started looking around. "Are you a first year?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, I'm Mundungus Fletcher, you?"

"Remus Lupin. I'm first year, too. Nice to meet you."

They were joined by a short, rather pudgy boy named Peter Pettigrew. He seemed nice enough, though a bit distracted by the students walking by in the corridor. Finally, Remus felt the train pull away from the station. As it picked up speed, a tall boy with stringy black hair, pale face and hooked nose entered the compartment and sat down without even asking. He didn't seem very friendly, but Remus figured the boy was probably nervous, too. Plus, the compartment didn't belong to any of them, after all.

The trip was pleasant, with light conversation: Where are you from? What class are you looking most forward to? What house do you hope you get in?

"I'm hopin' fer Hufflepuff, myself," said Mundungus. There was a rather disdainful snort from the black-haired boy.

"That's surprising," he said very sarcastically.

"No, not really," said Fletcher, clearly missing the fact that he had been insulted. "Fer some reason, nobody really expects much from 'em. I figure, even if I botch the whole thing up, if I'm in Hufflepuff, nobody'll be that disappointed, ey?"

"My mum was in Hufflepuff," said Peter defensively.

"My father told me some of the best people he's worked with were in Hufflepuff," Remus said to Peter supportively. "He said all the houses have their strengths and benefits. Do you want to be in Hufflepuff, Peter?"

Peter hesitated. "Not really," he admitted. "I think I might like to be in either Gryffindor or Slytherin. Most of the coolest blokes I know have been in one of those. According to Mum, Slytherin is a little cut-throat, though. I don't know if I'm really cut out for that. What about you?"

"I don't really think it will matter. According to a book I read, the way they sort you is pretty sound. I expect I'll be satisfied wherever they put me." Remus looked at the black-haired boy who was watching them silently. "What about you…er…I'm sorry, I don't know your name?"

"I see no reason to dwell on it," he said coldly. "Why set your hopes on one only to be put in another? They'll put me where they put me," he said waving his hand dismissively. "I can only hope it isn't crawling with Mu…" he looked around at the three boys with a sneer. "Well, never mind."

"Yeah…well…alright," said Mundungus brightly. "So, you got a name or can we jus' call you Sunshine?"

The boy sneered even more and hissed, "You can call me Snape, if you must."

No… Remus didn't think Snape was very friendly at all. Of course, some people weren't good in unfamiliar settings and with new people. Fortunately, the snack trolley arrived and they busied themselves eating sweets and pasties, talking of wizard card collections and Quidditch. It was wonderful, even if Snape only threw in a snide remark here and there. Remus thought he probably wanted to be involved but just wasn't loaded with social grace.

Finally, they arrived at the Hogsmeade station and were loaded into boats to cross the lake to Hogwarts. When he caught his first glimpse of the castle, Remus felt a wave of excitement. He couldn't wait to get inside and explore the magnificent structure.

Remus soon found himself waiting anxiously with the other first years. The rather intimidating witch, Professor McGonagall, had left them in a chamber with instructions to straighten their robes and tidy themselves before they would be taken to the sorting. As he looked around at the nervous faces, a few caught his attention. There was a girl who was somewhat taller than the others, with honey-colored hair and he felt a little embarrassed when he thought to himself that she was quite pretty. He thought again of the girl at the train station…the feeling he had gotten in his stomach when she smiled at him. He had thought she was pretty, too, come to think of it. _Yuck, Remus!_ It wasn't like he liked girls or anything, well not like that anyway. Of course, his dad had told him he would soon enough. As hard as it was to believe, he had read enough and seen enough in town to realize it was probably true. Otherwise, there wouldn't be all those couples running around holding hands and kissing and…It was almost enough to make him shiver. He figured he had a couple of good years before things started getting weird. But, from the looks of things, this was the place to be when that dreaded day arrived. In addition to the tall girl there was a cute little brunette and a rather pretty redhead who was being harassed by a couple of dark-haired boys.

From what Remus could glean from their conversation, the girl must be Muggle-born and the boys were trying to scare her about the sorting. It didn't seem to be working. Remus had the feeling that she had done some research on the wizarding world before arriving. The boys were undaunted and moved on to a frightened looking boy. They kept asking if he remembered to bring things that Remus knew didn't even exist, but the poor boy didn't have a clue and was starting to panic. They had attracted a fair amount of attention to themselves and obviously enjoyed it. Peter was watching them with transparent admiration. Remus found himself laughing at their antics along with many of the other new students. But, even these two didn't seem to amuse Mr. Snape who watched them with near contempt on his face. _Sunshine _apparently didn't like jokes.

Before they got too out of control, Professor McGonagall returned, and Remus felt some consolation when the two appeared to tense at her arrival as much as anyone else. As he looked at the faces around him once more, he had a miserable thought. He was the only werewolf at the school. What if they decided he was too different to fit in anywhere?

_Nonsense! Headmaster Dumbledore is in charge and he says I can stay,_ Remus told himself sternly. _But, what if I get sorted, but everyone finds out and I still don't have any friends?_ The thought came to him unbidden. He had been so excited about the prospect of attending Hogwarts that he hadn't thought of anything negative, until now. _Stop it , Remus! Don't ruin this for yourself. You'll just make sure nobody finds out. What you should be worrying about is failing your classes or getting on McGonagall's bad side._ After all, he had never had friends before, anyway. But if he botched up his classes he'd be thrown out of school. That he couldn't bear.

As McGonagall opened the doors into the Great Hall, Remus' fears were replaced with the sense of wonder he had felt when he had seen the castle. As they filed to the front of the hall and the hat sang its song, Remus' mind was churning. He couldn't stop himself looking down the staff table. Those were the people who would be teaching him the wonders of the world. When his gaze lingered on the tall silver haired wizard at the center, he felt a surge of gratitude and the man seemed to sense this, for he turned and looked Remus squarely in the eye and gave an ever-so-slight smile. It happened so quickly and then the Professor looked away again. But in that brief glance, Remus had felt great warmth and acceptance. He was ready to be sorted.

He awaited his turn and watched as those before him nervously sat beneath the hat when Professor McGonagall called their names.

"Baumgartner, Patsy," was quickly made a Hufflepuff and the students at that table erupted into cheers.

"Beerbohm, Mitchell," was made a Ravenclaw and his new house cheered.

Remus watched with mild interest as one of the dark-haired boys stepped forward when the name "Black, Sirius," was called. He sat under the hat for a moment. The Sorting Hat's decision obviously came as a surprise for when it cried out "_Gryffindor_!" there wasn't an outburst of applause. Instead, the Gryffindors stared slack-jawed at their new housemate as a startled murmur arose from a group at the Slytherin table. A lovely blonde girl who looked to be fifth or sixth year, was whispering to a very beautiful girl with long dark hair. The dark-haired girl had to be a seventh year and she had a shocked look on her face. While the lovely Slytherin girls appeared to be stunned by Black's sorting, Black, himself, seemed delighted. He took the hat off and, grinning broadly, joined the now cheering students at the Gryffindor table and the sorting continued.

"Dagget, Felicia." Remus saw the tall, honey haired girl become a Slytherin.

"Daniels, Jeffrey." "Ravenclaw!"

"Evans, Lily." The redhead became a Gryffindor and took a seat next to Black.

"Fletcher, Mundungus," got his wish to be a Hufflepuff and looked very pleased about it.

"Haversham, Leanna," a skinny little blonde girl, was obviously proud to be named a Ravenclaw.

"Keller, Celia," became the next Gryffindor and at long last, it was his turn.

"Lupin, Remus." He was amazed at the steadiness with which he climbed onto the stool. A sense of calm came over him when the hat started talking to him without mentioning his…_affliction_.

"You have a great thirst for knowledge, I see. Ravenclaw could satisfy you there," the hat said. "But, there is great courage in your heart. Yes, that is what I sense most strongly. So, I think it shall be GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus' heart beat fiercely. While what he had said on the train was true, he had secretly hoped to be in Gryffindor. He had liked what he read of Godric Gryffindor in his _Hogwarts, A History _book. Of course, his mum and dad had both been in Ravenclaw, so that would have been good too. As he joined his fellow Gryffindors at the house table, he felt almost as happy as he had when he received his letter. In his excitement, he almost missed Peter's sorting. However, Peter had to sit there for a while. Finally, the hat shouted "Gryffindor" and the chubby boy practically jumped to the table.

"Potter, James" was called and the second of the _cool_ dark-haired boys stepped forward. He pushed his glasses up and instinctively smoothed down the tuft of black hair standing up at the crown of his head, but it sprang back immediately. Professor McGonagall gave him a slightly disapproving smirk as she sat the hat down over it. The hat wiggled a bit before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!"

When Potter arrived at the table, he slapped Black on the shoulder before taking his seat. Remus wondered if they were childhood mates.

The sorting continued and a tall muscular boy who looked more like a third year stepped up when the name "Rosier, Evan" was called. He was made a Slytherin and their house cheered loudly.

When "Snape, Severus" was made a Slytherin, Potter leaned across Evans and made a face at Black.

"Couldn't have seen that coming," he said and the boys sniggered.

"Starling, Fern," became a Hufflepuff.

Finally, a pudgy girl with black pigtails was left. "Wilkins, Darlene" was sorted into Ravenclaw and the sorting was over.

As Professor McGonagall removed the sorting hat and stool, Professor Dumbledore approached the podium and waved his hand. Suddenly, the first years' plain black robes were accented with the colors and crest of their houses.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" said Dumbledore brightly. "May you all be happy in your new houses. To all those returning, welcome back! I have some announcements before we get to our feast. First, I'd like to welcome a new member to the staff. Mr. Filch will be assistant caretaker to our own Mr. Pringle. I'm sure we will all appreciate his efforts to make Hogwarts a clean and pleasant environment in which to live and learn." Professor Dumbledore waved his hand towards a rather bitter looking man who seemed to be sneering at them all rather than smiling as the Headmaster led the students in a round of applause.

"A reminder that the dark forest is off limits to students," the Professor continued. Remus noticed Potter and Black exchange mischievous glances and smile. He had to admit, it did sound intriguing. "Also, there is a new tree on the school grounds that I urge all who do not wish to be bludgeoned to death to avoid. It is a fine specimen of Whomping Willow, but, it…is…deadly. Beware of it!"

Remus tensed and looked around, but no one seemed to associate the tree with his presence. _Why would they?_ But he knew of its purpose from the letter he had received on the arrangements Dumbledore had made for Remus' monthly transformations. He thought the idea of the Whomping Willow was brilliant. He just wished it had been planted for reasons other than to guard the passage leading to him when he was transformed.

"Now, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore spread his arms again and a magnificent feast appeared on each table. A dull roar rose up as the students began talking animatedly while filling their plates.

Remus suddenly wished he hadn't eaten all those sweets on the train, but his appetite was finally returning after the full moon, and he, like the others, loaded up his plate. He joined in the conversation from time to time, but mainly he listened. He found that he was correct in assuming that Lily Evans was Muggle-born and had done a fair amount of research before arriving in the wizarding world. Martin Deevers, a small boy with curly hair, was from South Wales and his mother was a Muggle. Remus could tell that Peter was thrilled to become a Gryffindor and had clearly become impressed with Black and Potter who, surprisingly had never met until the train ride. Black proudly announced that he was the first from his family to sort into a house other than Slytherin in centuries, which explained the reaction his sorting had received. Potter seemed obsessed with Quidditch and kept steering the conversation towards the sport and his chances of playing for the house team, broomsticks, etc…

After all the desserts had been eaten, the house prefects gathered the first years together and led them to their houses. When they arrived at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, a fifth year named Gideon Prewitt showed them the portrait of the Fat Lady and gave them all the password, _wonky snockit_. They entered a large but cozy round room decorated in the house colors of red and gold with a crackling fire in a large fireplace and chairs that looked quite comfortable.

"This is where you'll come to hang out, play games or even study from time to time," said Gideon. "But, now I'm going to give you your room assignments and I suggest you get settled and try to get some rest. Classes start tomorrow and you'll want to be sharp. I'll be here for a while in case you need anything."

Remus found his name on the list and climbed the steep stone staircase until he finally reached his room. He found another boy putting his things in one of the five dressers. Remus walked in followed by two others and he picked a bed and placed his black school hat upon it before turning to introduce himself. He had seen them at the feast but, hadn't really had a chance for formal introductions.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin," he said softly.

"Alright, Remus? I'm Archimedes Jones," said a skinny boy with large ears, "but everyone calls me Archie."

"Ryan Shaugnessy, here," said a husky dark-haired boy.

Martin Deevers introduced himself to the others and they all looked at one another, smiling awkwardly. Remus suddenly realized he would be sharing a room for the first time since he could remember. It was exciting and a bit nerve wracking. Shortly, they were joined by a fifth boy who introduced himself as Kirby Fleetwood. So, these boys were to be his roommates. They seemed alright to Remus and they sat up getting acquainted well into the night. When Remus finally lay down to sleep, his mind was reeling from the excitement of the day. Still, he was very tired and it didn't take long for him to drift off, knowing more excitement lay ahead.


	4. Making Friends

**Making Friends**

_**Summary:** Sometimes the strangest things bring friends together._

The next morning, Remus awoke to find his roommates either gone or half dressed and he realized he had slept later than he had planned. Yesterday's early morning and the late night getting acquainted had taken its toll on his transformation wearied body. He dressed quickly and made for the Great Hall. As he passed through the common room, he saw Peter and Black, one of the two dark-haired boys, sitting in front of the fireplace. He started to continue on when he heard Peter call his name.

"Oi, Remus, you going to breakfast alone?"

"Hello, Peter," he said. "Yes, I seem to have slept late. The others are already gone."

"What? They didn't wait for you? That's bloody inconsiderate of them," said Black.

"Well, I didn't ask them to wait," said Remus in their defense.

"Yeah, well, James didn't ask us to wait either but, here we sit while he tries to tame that mop he calls hair."

"Why don't you wait and go down with us?" asked Peter.

Remus gratefully accepted. He didn't really want to go wandering into the Great Hall all alone on his first morning.

"So, are you sharing a room?" Remus asked to either boy.

"Yeah!" said Peter brightly. "Me, Sirius, James Potter, Travis Phelps and Harold Vance. Travis and Harold are cousins and they already went down too. But, Sirius and I decided to wait for…"

As if to complete the sentence, James Potter came barreling into the common room, his hair as messy as it had been the night before at the feast. When he caught sight of them, he flung his arms into the air dramatically.

"The bloody mess won't cooperate. Never has…never will. You know what? I like it this way! So, sod it!" He ran his hands through the tangled hair and rumpled it even more as he turned to Remus and nodded. "Hello."

"This is Remus," said Sirius. "He's going to go down with us because the lot he rooms with are a bunch of inconsiderate gits."

"Well, that's not quite…I just wasn't ready," said Remus.

"Never mind, let's just go. I'm famished," said James as he headed out the door.

Over the next few days, Remus found himself in a whirlwind of excitement. The classes were everything he had dreamed they would be and more. Not to mention the hubbub of activity that was nearly constant with so many living together in one building. Granted, it was an enormous castle that one could easily get lost in for days. Still, he had lived such a quiet life…He found himself a little overwhelmed, to tell the truth, and would go to the library for a bit of solitude now and then.

He got along well with his roommates and enjoyed talking with them at night before they fell asleep. However, since there were five boys in his room and most of the classrooms were set up with two man desks, Remus found that he was nearly always the odd man out. He really didn't mind. He figured it was probably best to keep his relationships somewhat distant. The closer he got, the harder it would be to hide his…problem.

Still, he was having the time of his life. He didn't have to sit alone, anyway. With five man rooms, there were others who would find themselves the odd man out, as well. One of these was Peter Pettigrew. He was nearly always with Potter and Black, but they invariably sat together. So, Remus became Peter's normal desk mate and found himself in the company of the three boys quite frequently, although it was more as an observer than anything. Potter and Black had become fast friends, and it would have been hard to get a word in edgewise even if Remus hadn't been as reserved as he was. But they were entertaining and Remus enjoyed being in their company even if they hardly seemed to notice he was there. The fact was, the two boys were very entertained by themselves and seemed to enjoy the audience provided by Peter and himself.

Friday evening arrived. Remus had made it through his first week at Hogwarts. His roommates had already begun a game when he arrived at the room from dinner. As usual, the game was limited to four players. He didn't mind, since he wanted to write to his mum and dad anyway. He also wanted to work on his transfiguration assignment. Potter and Black were the only ones in class who had managed to master it, but he didn't want to fall behind. He knew he would be losing at least a couple of days each month, so he wanted to stay on top of his course work.

He had planned to work in the library until he discovered that the librarian, Madam Pince, who was a young but stern witch, didn't permit students to perform spells in the library. She didn't want a student accidentally setting fire to any or all of the fine and rare books housed there. Remus couldn't blame her. It was one of the most impressive collections he could ever have imagined. He loved the school library. But since he couldn't practice there, he went back to the common room. It was rather deserted for a Friday evening. The students in fourth year and up had a start of term inter-house social to attend and many of the first years would be taking the opportunity to explore the castle, something Remus planned to do the next day. So he took a seat at one of the empty tables along the wall where he could work undisturbed. He sat_A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration_on the table and laid a couple of toothpicks and his wand on top. Then he took out his inkpot, quill and a bit of parchment. He had barely started his letter home when someone called his name.

"Hiya, Remus, what are you doing over there by yourself?" asked Peter. Remus saw James and Sirius disappearing into the opening to the boy's dorm.

"Just working on a letter home, and then I'm going to try to transfigure this toothpick," said Remus smiling mildly. "What are you doing? I thought you were going with James and Sirius to explore the castle."

"I am," said Peter excitedly. "James wanted to get something from the room before we go. You should come with us."

"Maybe next time." Remus knew Peter was sincere in his invitation, but he didn't want the others to get tired of him always tagging along. It was one thing for Peter to do it; he was their roommate, after all. But it made Remus feel almost like an intruder.

When the two boys returned, James was holding something under his arm beneath his school robe. He looked more mischievous than ever and that was saying something. They were talking animatedly as they waved their wands around causing tiny showers of sparks to shoot from the ends.

"Hey, Peter, what's your wand made of?" asked James.

"Um…I think its willow, why?" Peter answered hesitantly.

"What's its core?" asked Sirius.

"Er…I'm not sure but, I think Mr. Ollivander said it was unicorn hair. Why?"

"Don't you know?" asked James incredulously. "That's your _wand _for Merlin's sake!"

Peter shrugged looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm pretty sure," he said. "_Why?_"

"Sirius and I both have dragon heartstring. Isn't that cool?" Sirius and James smiled as if it were _very _cool.

Remus sat quietly, hoping they would leave soon. He didn't want to field any questions about _his _wand. Like many things in his life, Remus was a little uncomfortable with the topic. He hadn't told anyone yet, but he knew some might find it _creepy_.

"So, what is yours, Lupin?" asked Sirius and before Remus could respond, Sirius said, "Mine is 11 ½ inch ebony with dragon heartstring." He held the wand up proudly. It was solid black with a very high sheen, a very nice looking wand.

"12 inch ash," said Remus unable to suppress the feeling of satisfaction that, while not as flashy, his was longer. He hoped it didn't show on his face. Remus really wasn't the competitive sort.

The others nodded their approval.

"But, what's in it?" asked James.

Remus' heart sank, but he looked at them calmly. He considered lying, but he did that so often about other things. "Thestral mane," he said steadily.

James' and Sirius' eyes popped, and they looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Bloody hell, mate," James said slowly. "That's bad luck."

"What's a thestral?" asked Peter anxiously.

Remus looked steadily at James. "That's a common misconception," he said patiently. "Actually, thestrals are fascinating and very magical creatures. There is no evidence, _at all_ that they cause bad luck."

"Yeah, well, there is that whole bit about…er… _death_!" said Sirius. "Maybe it means you're going to die…you know, fall on your wand or something?"

"That is all a myth," said Remus remaining calm. "And even if it weren't, I don't think it would be _me _I should worry about. People can't see thestrals because they are going to die. They see them because they've seen someone _else_ die. So, maybe you should be worried about yourselves and not me," he said jokingly, "since I can't see them now."

The other boys looked at one another nervously.

"Oh, come on!" said Remus less patiently. "You aren't frightened of a baseless superstition, are you? There are a great many wizards who don't have thestral hair in their wand, but have seen someone die. Do you honestly think Ollivander's would use a substance that they thought brought about death? Or even bad luck?"

The three seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Look, thestral hair is a magical substance just like any other. It doesn't mean I'm going to die or watch someone else die anymore than your dragon heartstring means you are going to start breathing fire or flying without a broomstick." He looked meaningfully at Peter. "Or that your unicorn hair means you will never be sick or someone with phoenix tail feather will burst into flames from time to time but never die."

He watched them as they seemed to accept the logic to this. Eventually, James and Sirius looked at one another and began nodding, until finally, they broke into grins.

James turned to Remus still grinning and nodding excitedly. "Thestral mane!" he cried. "That's wicked!"

"Yeah!" agreed Sirius. "Bloody _brilliant_!"

Peter still looked to be a bit unnerved, but was obviously not going to disagree with his two new, cool friends. From that moment on, Remus was no longer an intruder on their time, but a fully fledged member of their group. They would no longer see him as a quiet member of their audience, maybe because he no longer saw himself that way. He was still quiet, but now he was _cool_. He might be a somewhat scrawny eleven and a half year old kid, but he had a 12 inch wand with a bloody thestral hair in it! Now, that was cool! At least it was to other eleven year old wizards. For the first time in his life, Remus had real friends.


	5. Time Flies

**Time Flies**

_**Summary: **Follow Remus and his friends through the first four years at Hogwarts. _

Remus didn't finish his letter home until Sunday evening. It would arrive later than he had planned, but it would be much more interesting to read. He told his mum and dad all about his three new friends; how they had spent the entire weekend exploring the castle and grounds together. He left out the part about James' fabulous invisibility cloak, which he had stuck under his robes Friday evening. They had used it to sneak into the upper classmen's social. He didn't think his mum would appreciate anything that involved rule breaking or possibilities for detention. But it sure had been fun _and _a little exciting, especially when Sirius knocked a bowl of pumpkin juice punch off the end of a table onto a girl sitting on a couch beside it. It was the lovely blonde Slytherin Remus remembered seeing at the sorting. While she had looked stunned when Sirius had sorted into Gryffindor, she looked absolutely livid when she jumped up, soaked to her toes in punch. Remus couldn't help noticing how the filmy punch-soaked robes clung to her, and he felt his ears grow hot. Apparently, his friends noticed too. James let out a rather loud whistle before Sirius managed to put a hand over his mouth to shut him up.

Remus was very thankful they were hidden under the cloak when it became obvious none of the upper classmen thought it had been an accidental dousing. A tall Slytherin with long fair hair started accusing Fabian Prewitt, Gideon's older brother, the Head Boy from Hufflepuff. Before the four boys had a chance to get out into the corridor, hexes had started flying.

Remus felt a little guilty, even though he hadn't knocked the punch on the girl. But it had been rather thrilling and when Sirius explained why he had done it, Remus felt a bit better. Although, he did feel bad about all the innocent bystanders who would probably be serving detention for the fight that it caused.

"That girl is my cousin, Narcissa. She's fifth year and a royal pain in the arse," said Sirius after they returned to the safety of the common room. "She and her sister, Bellatrix…now there's a scary witch."

"Does Bellatrix look like Narcissa?" asked James. "Maybe we could pour punch on her, too."

"Oh, you don't want to mess with cousin Bellatrix. She is wicked in the traditional sense of the word. The two don't look much alike. Bell is dark-haired like the Blacks. Narcissa takes after her mum. Then there is a third sister, Andromeda. She's dark too. But she's alright. Actually, she's about the only decent person in the entire family. The Blacks are about as happy with _her_ right now as they are with _me_ because she's dating a Muggle-born. First, I sort into Gryffindor and now, possibly a Muggle-born in the family. Can you imagine the horror? They can barely show their faces in polite society," Sirius said darkly. Remus got the feeling Sirius didn't get along very well with his family.

Soon, the end of September drew near and with it, the full moon. As Remus considered his first transformation at school, he was beginning to think things had turned out even better than he could have planned. By living in a room with one group and hanging out with another, he felt he was less likely to be missed during his absences. Each group would simply think he was with the other. He intentionally spent time in his own room studying, away from his three friends, hoping this would further disguise his absence. Plus, he really needed to study and James and Sirius tended to distract him.

As he was escorted to the Whomping Willow by the school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, he felt even more anxious about the full moon than usual. He worried what the nurse would think of him when she saw what he did to himself. He wondered if she had ever seen the aftermath of a werewolf transformation before. But she didn't seem to look down on him, even though she knew what he was, and that was comforting.

He wondered how his mother was. He felt sure she was even more worried than he was.

"Madam Pomfrey?" he said quietly. "Will you send my mum an owl as soon as I'm back? Just to let her know I'm alright. She'll be worried."

"Of course, Remus, now don't worry about that. I'll see you in the morning."

She prodded a knot on the tree trunk and it became very still. He climbed down between its roots to a long dark tunnel under the Hogwarts grounds. He finally entered the old abandoned house Professor Dumbledore had told him he would use. It looked decrepit, but the Headmaster had assured him the building was much sturdier than it appeared and would serve his needs well. He looked around at the room. He was very grateful to Dumbledore for providing it and he hated it immediately, just as he hated the room in his parents' cellar. But it was necessary. He removed his robes and folded them neatly before placing them under a chair in the other room to prevent the wolf from destroying them. Then he waited, but only for a few minutes. The nurse had timed his arrival so he wouldn't have long to dwell on his fears. As the pain wracked his body, he thought about the villagers of Hogsmeade. He knew they must be able to hear his screams and he tried to stifle them, but his effort was futile…

Madam Pomfrey was there when he awoke to help him back to the hospital wing. It wasn't the same as having his mother to comfort him, but he was rather glad the nurse didn't baby him. She was kind and seemed very skilled in treating his injuries which was all he really needed. She treated him the way he imagined she would treat anyone who was ill or injured. He liked that. He felt sure he and Madam Pomfrey would get along quite well.

When he returned to the dormitory, his friends thought he had simply fallen ill that morning causing him to miss his classes while his room mates thought he was off the night before with his three friends, as usual. All in all, things couldn't have gone much better.

But as the year went on and the four friends became closer, the others started looking for him if he disappeared for more than a few hours. He started having to come up with explanations for his absences. He hated lying, but the thought of losing them was much worse. So, he lied…and the fun they had together made it worth it.

They spent a good bit of time pulling pranks on Sirius' cousins and their friends. Of course, the animosity between them did nothing to endear the four Gryffindors to the house of Slytherin and vice versa. Remus wasn't stupid enough to do anything_too _outrageous, as he didn't want to have his arse hexed by the considerably older and more experienced Slytherins for no good reason. He also didn't want his mum and dad getting owls from school because he was being foolish. Unfortunately, James and Sirius couldn't seem to help themselves. They were already gaining a reputation for being mischief makers and by the end of the year, had spent numerous evenings in detention with Professor McGonagall and a few hours with Madam Pomfrey in hospital.

It had been the best year of Remus' life. When he realized that James, Sirius, and Peter were planning on having a room with him the next year, he couldn't wait, until he remembered it would make hiding the transformations from them much more difficult. But how could he tell them he didn't want to live with them?

And so, as second year began, he was sharing a room with his friends. It was starting off as another great year. But as the first full moon approached he became very worried. It wasn't going to be easy to hide his affliction from them. They were very clever and it didn't take them long to figure things out.

On the morning of the full moon in October, he came back to the room after visiting the toilet and found the three sitting on the sides of their beds staring at him.

"Feeling sick again, Moony?" asked James.

"Yeah, a litt…" Remus hesitated and looked at the boys nervously. "What did you call me?" he whispered.

"Just a little nickname we thought up. Do you like it?" asked James darkly.

"It was a toss up between that and …what was it, James? _Stupid prat_?" said Sirius, glaring at Remus.

"I also liked idiot git, myself," added James.

Remus saw Peter bite back a nervous smirk as he looked back and forth between the boys. Remus felt the room closing in on him and sat heavily on the edge of his bed so he wouldn't collapse. The effects of the moon were already taking a toll on him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked warily. He hoped beyond hope that somehow this was a mistake, that he wasn't about to lose the only friends he'd ever had.

"Well, what else would you call someone who lies to his mates and doesn't trust them with something that important?" asked Sirius angrily.

"Or who thinks his mates are so _stupid_ they wouldn't figure it out?" added James.

"What did you think we'd do Remus, turn tail and run? Or rat you out?" hissed Sirius.

Remus nodded dismally. That was exactly what he feared.

"Bloody hell, Remus," said James, shaking his head slowly. "I thought you knew us better than that."

And so, his secret was out…at least to his three friends. They gave him a hard time for not trusting them, but they didn't abandon him. If anything, they became closer, and Remus was happier than he could ever have imagined. Having it in the open was a huge burden off of him. He now had friends that accepted him for what he was. He learned that they had done a little research when they started figuring things out, but at first he got the impression they found it rather _cool_…no, that wasn't the right word… _intriguing_that they had a friend with such a dark and dangerous secret. So Remus gave them a lesson in lycanthropy. Knowing them as he did, he wanted to make sure they were well aware of how dangerous he was in his transformed state. He didn't want them trying to sneak a peek and end up his evening meal some night because they got bored.

He was happy when they were comfortable enough to make jokes about it, such as how they would set Moony on anyone who made them particularly angry or:

"Can't you just eat Professor McGonagall so we can actually get away with something around here?" James asked as he and Sirius set off to yet another detention.

They would tease him about his mood swings and that time of the month problems. That was so much better than being pitied. And, the nickname stuck.

But he wanted them to know there really was _nothing_ cool about being a werewolf. Lycanthropy was a horrible thing to live with and they had to promise him not to try anything foolhardy. Still, it was hard to convince twelve year old boys that raging wild beasts weren't at least a _little_ cool.

As they started visiting him in the hospital wing on the mornings after his transformations, they got to witness a little of the horror involved in his life. They could see his condition before Madam Pomfrey's treatments took affect. He didn't like them seeing him like that, but if it helped them understand, he would allow it. Plus, he found their presence comforting. Not only were they not repulsed by him, they were becoming rather protective and it seemed to create a deeper bond between them all.

He awoke one morning, following a full moon, to the sound of their raised voices. He wished he hadn't because the pain was intense. He must have looked particularly bad to have them so upset.

"Why can't anybody do anything?" cried James. "Is anybody even trying?"

"Mr. Potter, calm yourself," said Madam Pomfrey firmly.

"But look at him! This is bull sh…"

"Mr. Black!" hissed the nurse. "If you can't be quiet, I'm going to have to insist you leave. You'll wake him and he _won't_ thank you for it. He needs to sleep through this part."

That quieted them. Then, he heard Peter's voice whisper, "Can't you restrain him or something?"

The nurse sighed heavily. "It's been tried. Not on Remus, but on others…one killed himself trying to break free…I think it was his heart… another practically chewed his own arm off to get the bindings loose. And magic just won't work on them."

"There just has to be _something_," said James heavily.

"You lot have to understand, there isn't a wild animal who would take kindly to being caged and I'm afraid, during the full moon, your friend is the wildest of the wild, but we can't very well let him roam free, can we?" she said sadly. "Now, off you go. He needs his rest. You can see him after lunch." She had returned to her usual brisk self.

Days later, Remus learned of a plan they had concocted after leaving his bedside that Saturday. After returning to the room, the three had engaged in a serious brainstorming session, determined to find a way to help him. It had ended with them spending the rest of their afternoon in the library, a place James and Sirius made every effort to avoid. But they needed information. So they risked their reputations and spent the day holed up between the stacks trying to avoid the large number of Ravenclaws who were there.

It didn't take a genius to realize the nurse was right and Remus' wolf would probably be a lot better if he could run wild. _But, how?_ They learned the werewolf was only a threat to humans and one thing led to another. Before dinner, James had retrieved his invisibility cloak and was searching the restricted section for book titles on the Animagus Transformation. He wouldn't try to remove the books because he was sure Madam Pince probably had an alarm or tracking system on them. It was almost Christmas break and they would have to try to get hold of the books at Flourish and Blotts or something.

"I bet I can get Andromeda to get me one of these for Christmas," said Sirius, glancing at the list of titles. "Maybe Uncle Alphard, too. They feel sorry for me since everyone in the family took my sorting so badly." Sirius grinned.

"Won't they be suspicious?" asked Peter.

"I can tell them I'm interested because of McGonagall. Or that I need them for a report for extra credit for all my detentions. They'll believe that."

Remus had listened to their plan to become Animagi so that they could at least keep him company during his transformation. He was very grateful, but he knew it was really dangerous and…illegal.

"Look, I really appreciate what you want to do, but…" Remus said softly as he glanced at the excited faces of his three best friends. "I can't let you do this for me."

"What do you mean you can't _let _us do it?" asked Sirius haughtily.

"Sirius, you _can not _do this. It is far too dangerous…_don't scoff _! The Animagus Transformation can go horribly wrong. I don't want to be responsible for that!" Remus said adamantly.

"You won't be. It's our decision! Besides, we aren't _stupid!_ We aren't just going to jump in and do it without a lot of preparation," said James. "We've researched it, we know the risks."

"Then you should know it isn't worth it! You don't even know if this crazy idea would work. How can you be sure the wolf won't know you are really human and decide to attack one of you?" Remus argued.

"Because we _won't be human_! The Animagus Transformation is a _TRANSFORMATION _not just a disguise," countered Sirius.

"Well, how can you be so sure I…the wolf…won't attack you anyway?

"Moony, you know better than any of us that werewolves only prey on humans," said Peter, finally entering the fray. "According to all the books on lycanthropy, they only eat other animals if they are _literally _starving."

"So we'll make sure your tummy's full before moonrise!" joked James.

Remus didn't laugh. "I also know they have been known to fight with other animals, particularly dogs and things that come to the aid of humans!" said Remus hotly.

"And nothing happens to the dog that a good gamekeeper can't cure!" snapped Sirius. "So you don't have to worry about infecting us! Give it up, Moony. We've made up our minds."

"And my opinion counts for nothing?" Remus asked.

"Since it's a lousy opinion…nah it doesn't!" said James drolly.

Remus looked around in frustration. He could tell that they were determined to go ahead against his advice.

"Well what about the opinion of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement then? What you are going to do is _illegal_!" said Remus. "I don't know about you three, but I don't want to see you end up in Azkaban!"

"If it works, we can go register," said James. "If it doesn't…"

"It won't really matter," finished Sirius with a fatalistic shrug.

Remus took a deep breath and sighed heavily. How did he ever end up with such insane, stubborn…wonderful friends?

Sirius returned from the holidays looking very satisfied with himself as he tossed two large books on the foot of Remus' bed. James grabbed them and read the titles excitedly.

"_Animagus Transformation, The Authoritative Guide _and _So You Want To Be An Animagus: Fifteen Helpful Hints to Prevent Becoming a Mutated Freak_. This is going to be so bloody amazing!" he cried. "Wonder what we'll all be?"

Their egos didn't know it yet, but it would be a long time before any of them would find out.

Months turned into years as the boys grew. They were wonderful and exciting times.

James became a Chaser on the house Quidditch team when a position finally opened up in their third year. He immediately stood out as a star when he led the team in their first victory over Slytherin in three and a half years. Unfortunately, this only added to the animosity that had been steadily building between the two houses since their first year. There was a particularly hostile rivalry building between James and Severus Snape who played for the Slytherin team though not to James' standard. This seemed to irk Snape to no end and he couldn't seem to stop himself sniping at James, who, of course, wouldn't let him get away with it. As time went on, the feud seemed to spread to include James' friends, though Remus tried his best to stay out of it.

Remus loved most of his classes and while he wasn't awful at anything, he did struggle a bit in Potions. Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favorite, as he had expected it to be and he was quite good at Care of Magical Creatures. His Dad would appreciate that. Peter, on the other hand struggled with it, as well as a few others. Then, there were James and Sirius. They didn't struggle with anything. Well, except the Animagus transformation…and _girls_.

Yes, the dreaded day had somehow sneaked up on them all. It had really started happening way back in second year when they would talk about girls and look at magazines Sirius would nick from the common room. Some of the women in them were incredibly beautiful and he had started having some rather vivid dreams about the beautiful gypsy princess from his favorite childhood storybook and…well, Remus had finally forced himself to confront his father over the Christmas holidays and he had gotten _the talk_. Crikey, that had been awkward.

Then, early in third year, during a Hogsmeade weekend, Sirius had wandered off to get a butterbeer and returned half an hour later looking dazed and sporting a vibrant love bite on his neck.

"Bloody hell, Sirius," whispered James in amazement. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure," answered Sirius, a rather goofy grin on his face. "One minute, I'm standing at the bar waiting, the next, I'm in the broom cupboard in the hallway with Cornelia…You know, that sixth year Ravenclaw?"

"Blimey," breathed Peter. "What were you doing in there?"

The three others looked at him pointedly.

"O-O-Oh," drawled Peter with dawning realization.

Remus had to laugh and James rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Jeez, Peter," James shook his head and turned back to Sirius. "So…what was it like?"

Sirius considered for a moment and started to smile. "It was…kind of…nice. Actually, it was very nice…and really warm."

There it was, Sirius was the first to snog a girl. That was no big shock and from then on, Sirius struggled with girls. Well, struggled to keep girls away more like it. He was the epitome of tall dark and handsome. Sirius was smart, and from one of the oldest and wealthiest pureblood families in the country. Girls were crazy for him, even if he was only thirteen.

It took the other three longer to work up the nerve to approach a girl. Sirius enjoyed goading them, but they were well aware of the fact that he wasn't exactly Mr. Nerves-of-steel regarding girls, himself. How much courage did it take to let them drag you off to the broom cupboard? Remus thought the idea was a little frightening, but nothing compared to the prospect of putting yourself out there for total rejection.

But, as the weeks went on, Sirius seemed to become more comfortable in his role as the class Lothario and never ceased to amaze Remus and their friends with his incredible ability to turn seemingly normal girls into putty with just a smile. Before the end of term, Sirius had gained quite a reputation as a ladies's man and Madam Rosmerta had threatened to put a Sirius Black alarm on her broom cupboard if he didn't stay out of it. She had also come to the rescue of a girl Sirius had set his sights on during the last Hogsmeade visit of the term in December.

Sirius had spotted the girl almost immediately upon entering the Three Broomsticks. Of course, she would have been rather hard to miss, standing at the edge of the bar talking with some fifth year girls. Remus couldn't place her and felt sure that he would have noticed her before now if she had been at Hogwarts. Still, she looked vaguely familiar. He was reminded of that beautiful gypsy princess from his story book. The girl's dark hair was pulled away from her face in a ponytail and her skin was tanned and golden in contrast to the pale faces of the students around her.

Remus and his friends had barely settled into their seats when Sirius was off to make his conquest. Remus couldn't help but be impressed as he saw the girl smile bashfully while her cheeks reddened at something Sirius must have said. Things seemed to be going well for Sirius until Rosmerta walked out of the pub kitchen and yelled.

"_Lindi! _Aunt Ronnie wants you to go with her!" Rosmerta threw Sirius a warning smirk as the girl disappeared down the hall to the rental rooms.

A feeling of déja vu washed over Remus. Why did he feel he had met this girl? Maybe it was wishful thinking.

Before he could sort it out, Sirius had rejoined them and Rosmerta walked over. She gazed at Sirius bemusedly.

"You are barking up the wrong tree with that one, Mr. Black," she said.

"Who is she?" asked Sirius.

"She's my cousin and she's just visiting. And trust me…you don't want her Aunt Veronica after you." Rosmerta chuckled and walked back to the bar.

Shortly, a formidable looking old woman dressed in a thick travel cloak with a holly circled witches hat came through the pub followed by the girl…_Lindi. _She, too, was dressed in a winter cloak. Her face was framed by a fuzzy wool trimmed hat. The ivory wool highlighted the glow of her skin and darkness of her eyes. As she walked past, she caught Remus watching her and her cheeks flushed. He felt his own going a little hot and felt a strange sense of relief that Sirius' back was to her. When she smiled and threw him a tiny wave he realized with a jolt where he had seen her before. She had been on platform 9 and ¾ when he had first boarded the Hogwarts Express. He found himself wondering about her again: why didn't she ever come to Hogwarts…where was her mum…where was she living that she would be so tanned in the middle of the winter…But she walked out into the snow covered street of Hogsmeade and vanished. He thought about her from time to time over the next few weeks but she soon faded into memory as his adventures at Hogwarts continued.

Of course, as happens with teenage boys, many of the adventures included or were centered on _girls_. At first, they simply consisted of pranks played on girls. Sirius might have been comfortable with other types of adventure with the opposite sex but the rest of them were still getting up their nerve.

Not surprisingly, James would be the next to fall victim to the lure of females. His increasing Quidditch stardom made him more desirable all the time and by the end of third year, he managed to have dates fairly regularly, though not with any one person. He and Sirius were definitely playing the field. However, as fourth year progressed, James decided he wanted to go out with Lily Evans. Unfortunately, she did not feel the same and that made James only want her more. Lily was a protective type and obviously disapproved of those who showed little or no compassion for those less capable than themselves. James and Sirius had very little patience with people they saw as nuisances and even less for those who actually had the gall to provoke them in any way. The two actually seemed to enjoy any opportunity to practice their growing repertoire of jinxes and hexes on any and all that happened to cross them. Sometimes it made Remus uncomfortable, but he wasn't their boss, and they weren't really hurting anyone after all. It just wasn't worth getting into an argument. Still, it was enough to keep Lily uninterested. At least, Remus assumed that's what kept her from going out with James. What else could it be? Otherwise, James was a great guy and loads of girls seemed to be interested in him. But Lily Evans was having none of it.

Now, Peter…well, Peter had some self esteem issues when it came to girls. He was going to take a while, but he was only fourteen after all.

Then there was Remus. His situation was a bit more complicated than mere self esteem problems. He was actually fairly secure in his abilities and appearance. He got good marks in most of his classes and was gaining a reputation as one of the best duelers in the Dueling Club. He knew he was no where near as handsome as Sirius. Who was? But, on a good day, he knew more than a few girls would be willing to go out with him. He was not quite as tall as Sirius, but a little taller than James. Of course, he was more slender than either of them, a side effect of low appetite from his illness and he often looked pale and fatigued. But he was alright. His mother always said he had pretty eyes anyway and it had been confirmed by Lily Evans with whom he was actually friends; it nearly drove James crazy that Remus couldn't help him get a date.

"James, I'm not_ cupid_. Lily has a mind of her own. You know that," Remus would say as James would smirk in disgust.

Anyway, on the train back from Christmas break in fourth year, Lily had told Remus that a fifth year Ravenclaw she knew from her Charms Club had a crush on him and thought he had _dreamy eyes_. He had nearly spontaneously combusted he had blushed so hard.

But Remus had a big secret to keep and dating would only complicate matters. Still, he was almost fifteen and he really wanted to know what it was like to kiss a girl. So, with a little prodding from his friends and Lily, he asked the Ravenclaw, Emmeline Vance, to the Valentines' dance. He knew her vaguely from Dueling Club, though she was on a different team. She seemed like a nice person and he thought she was attractive. She wasn't his gypsy princess, but she was tall, slender, with a fairly pretty face and she was very smart. He liked that.

The dance was alright, and after spending some time together, he found that he liked her enough to look forward to kissing her goodnight… if he could get up the nerve. When he walked her back to the Ravenclaw tower, there were people milling about, so he talked to her until the coast was clear. He didn't want his first kiss to be in front of an audience. He was very nervous about it, but when he hesitated, she leaned in and kissed _him_. He didn't exactly see fireworks, but it was very nice, and he felt his face grow warm, just as Sirius said.

Remus went out with Emmeline a few more times, but there just wasn't a spark and they drifted into a comfortable friendship. He hoped all his "breakups" would be so smooth; not that he expected to have that many.

In no time, Remus' fourth year was over. He couldn't believe how time was flying.


	6. Hard Work Pays

**Hard Work Pays**

**Summary: **_It'sFifth year and at long last, Remus' friends achieve their goal._

The summer seemed to drag by. Remus got to see his three friends a couple of times over the holiday, but he couldn't wait to be back at school. He felt a little guilty about feeling that way, since he enjoyed his time with his parents, and he had learned a lot by helping his father. Still, he was fifteen and was eager to be back with his mates.

By August, he had started looking forward to the morning post and the delivery of his Hogwarts supply list. Finally, it arrived and he gratefully removed the envelope from Henrietta's foot. The letter was a bit heavier than usual and had a hard lump inside. He felt a wave of excitement and then apprehension as he opened the envelope to find a shining badge with a large letter P in the center. He could hardly believe it. Professor Dumbledore had made him a prefect. Professor McGonagall had recommended him for prefect. It was quite an honor and his parents could not have been prouder. Of course, his mother cried and he and his father shared a discreet roll of their eyes as they laughed at her. She just got more emotional every day. After all the tears Remus was sure she had shed over him, he was glad to be the cause of some joyful ones for a change. But as the term drew nearer, he had a mental image of his friends' smirking faces when they heard the news. James and Sirius didn't listen to the other prefects; there was no way they would listen to _him_. This was going to be tricky.

At last, September 1st arrived and his mum escorted him to Kings Cross Station alone since his father had to be in Ireland on business. She hugged and kissed him, making his cheeks go red before he climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express. He made his way to the Prefect compartment to stow his trunk. He was anxious to find James Sirius and Peter, but first he was roped into an orientation with the other prefects. The Head Boy and Girl gave out instructions and they discussed the coming year, in great depth. The train was already well on its way before the meeting was adjourned and he could search for his friends. Finally, he headed towards the back of the train where he heard his name.

"Hey! Remus! In here!" shouted James who had his head sticking out of the last compartment. Remus smiled broadly when he caught sight of the black mess standing on end on top of James head. He had let the hair grow a bit and it was messier than ever.

"Hiya, Moony!" said James, smiling as he stood to shake his friends hand.

"Watch it, James! That's Your-Supreme-Prefectness to you," said Sirius with a cheeky grin as he, too, stood to shake Remus hand.

"Alright, bugger off. Show a little respect for your superiors, will you?" said Remus, smiling and sitting down next to his fellow 5th years.

"Oh! Of course," mocked Sirius. "You know we have the utmost respect for authority."

Remus shook his head. It was going to be an interesting year.

The first half of term went by in a blur. Between classes, prefect duties, Dueling Club, Quidditch, and their focus on the Animagus transformation, the boys were very busy. Still, James and Sirius found time to hex Severus Snape at every opportunity. Of course, Snape gave almost as good as he got. James also found time to ask Lily Evans out on a fairly regular basis. The fact that she had also been made a prefect didn't seem to deter James in the least. Remus felt a little better about the fact that his friends didn't listen to him at all when he noticed even Lily couldn't make James behave himself. If James wouldn't at least _try _to follow the rules for the girl of his dreams, how could Remus expect to have any control over him, especially when he had Sirius goading James into all kinds of mischief? Not that James needed to be goaded.

Sirius also managed to squeeze in time to live up to his rapidly growing reputation as a ladies' man. Of course, when you didn't need to study, you would have a bit more spare time for that sort of thing. Remus wondered if things would change in second term when their O.W.L.s would occur. Knowing James and Sirius, they wouldn't. But Peter would make up for their devil-may-care attitudes; he was already starting to panic. Unfortunately for Peter, he didn't have Remus' sense of discipline and would forgo studying to accompany James and Sirius in whatever adventure they might undertake. Remus hoped Peter wouldn't live to regret it. He knew it wasn't always easy for Peter to have two such gifted friends. Remus sometimes found himself in awe of the two, but he knew it was different for Peter. Peter came close to hero worshipping them even when they were impatient with him. Sirius and James could be arrogant gits sometimes. Still, they did their best to help Peter out and, all in all, they were very good for him…and for Remus.

In the third week of October, Remus lay in the hospital wing hidden behind the curtains of his usual bed. He was still groggy from the pain potions, but could feel the throbbing in his right shoulder. He must have broken it again, or more accurately, shattered it trying to escape the Shrieking Shack. Yes, that was the name that had been given to his _cage_. He tried not to think about the fact that people heard him during his transformations even if they were unaware of what they were hearing. It was such a horribly personal thing. He had asked Professor Dumbledore if it would be possible to put silencing charms on the building as his parents always did in their cellar.

"I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable, Remus," said the Headmaster, smiling benevolently. "But, the fact that the villagers hear what they believe to be particularly violent spirits works in our favor. They are petrified of the place. So, it is highly unlikely that anyone would attempt to explore it and discover our secret."

_**Our** secret,_ thought Remus gratefully. He was well aware of the risk Professor Dumbledore had taken to admit him into Hogwarts. Dumbledore had put his reputation and possibly his position in the community on the line to do it. Every time Remus considered this, he felt a rush of gratitude that was almost staggering. Remus thought he would do anything for Dumbledore. But then, the guilt would flood over him. How would Dumbledore feel if he knew what Remus was encouraging his friends to do? It might have been all their idea, but they were only doing it because of him.

_I should make them forget it,_ thought Remus wretchedly. _And how would you do that? You can't make them do anything. You know how they are when they get something in their heads. Plus, they've been working so hard for three years…They're so close…_ The thought made him excited even if he did feel guilty about it.

He closed his eyes and tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He wanted to go back to sleep but the throbbing in his shoulder prevented it. He heard quiet footsteps approaching and saw a shadow reach for the curtains. _Good!_ He didn't like to ask for pain draughts, but Madam Pomfrey usually insisted he take something when he awoke.

_"It isn't a sign of weakness to take something when you are in pain, Remus," she had said curtly in his third year. "But, it is a sign of stupidity to refuse it and I know you aren't stupid, so drink up!"_

When the curtain was drawn back, however, he saw Sirius peeking in to see if he was awake, or maybe he was checking to see if he was still alive.

"Alright, Remus?" he asked quietly. Remus grunted in response. "Up for some company?"

Remus winced as he tried to pull himself up into a sitting position. Sirius reached for him quickly to help and adjusted the pillow behind Remus' back.

"I'm alright," Remus managed to gasp.

"Well, you look like bloody hell," said Sirius. "Maybe we can make you feel better." He moved to the end of Remus' bed as James and Peter quietly entered through the curtain and drew it around them once again. They sat gingerly on the edge of his bed. From the way they were acting, he knew he must look a mess…as usual.

"What time is it?" He asked to break the silence. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"It's Saturday afternoon, Moony," said James.

"What?" asked Remus dazedly. "But, the full moon was Thursday."

He had missed an entire day. He knew his transformations had gotten progressively worse over the past three years. Madam Pomfrey suspected it had to do with puberty. Now, Remus had been quite proud of his self control and maturity when he had calmly discussed his "_raging hormones_" with the school nurse without even a slight chuckle. Still, he hadn't been able to suppress the burning in his cheeks and ears. If she had noticed, and she noticed almost as much as Dumbledore, she hadn't said anything.

"Yeah, but the wolf gave you a concussion, and you were in and out of consciousness for almost an hour after moon set," said Sirius, very concerned.

"And Madam Pomfrey gave you a really powerful sleeping draught after she healed the concussion," added Peter. "So you wouldn't have to feel…you know."

"But, the wolf wont need to butt his head into the wall next month," said Sirius in an excited whisper.

Remus stared at Sirius as he tried to shake the cobwebs from his mind. What was he saying? Did they figure it out? Had they finally mastered the transformation? Before he could ask, the sound of Madam Pomfrey's office door clicking shut stopped him.

The curtains swung back and the nurse let out an exasperated sigh.

"You lot! How many times do I have to tell you Remus needs his sleep?" she said sternly, though her face betrayed the fondness she felt for the young men. She knew that, at this stage in his life, his friends were even more important to his well being than any of the potions she might have in her considerable medicine stores. But, she sent them away and gave him another pain potion anyway.

Even with the relief from his pain, he couldn't get back to sleep. His mind was racing wildly. He wanted to kill Sirius for suggesting something so intriguing when he was going to have to wait for any details. Finally, Madam Pomfrey agreed he could go back to his dorm room after he promised to at least lie down.

"I don't want to see you back here with another concussion because you passed out and cracked your head on the floor!" she said.

When he entered the common room, his friends were seated in front of the fireplace. As soon as they spotted him, they were on their feet and grinning widely. After he was safely on his own bed with the door closed behind them, he looked around expectantly.

"Well?" he asked "Did you mean what I think you meant?" asked Remus. James and Sirius looked at each other triumphantly.

"Looks like you'll have company next month, mate," James said grinning devilishly.

"You actually did it, then?" Remus asked.

"Well, James and I have," said Sirius. "Peter is getting close. We'll have him ready by next full moon." Sirius gave Peter an encouraging look.

"When? How..." Remus wanted all the details.

"I got it Friday night and Sirius, first thing this morning. We didn't get nearly as much sleep as you did," said James with a huge yawn. "But, it was worth it."

"And, Moony…" Sirius' voice was full of mischief. "We're both big!"

"I'm biggest!" said James.

"Yeah, but Moony and I are both carnivores so you better watch yourself, _grass eater_," retorted Sirius.

"Right…and I'll see if Madam Pomfrey has any flea repellent for you, _shaggy mutt_!"

"Right, better ask about ticks while you're at it, you bloody deer!"

"I'm a _STAG_!" cried James as he threw a chocolate frog at Sirius.

They were obviously excited and Remus couldn't blame them. It was a huge accomplishment. Remus stared at his bickering, grinning friends, a mixture of thrill and nervousness in his stomach.

"The point is, the wolf will get to run free because we'll be able to restrain him," said Sirius.

"That should make him very happy," smiled James at the thought of them running wild through the forest.

"And a happy wolf shouldn't feel the need to chew his arm off," added Peter.

Remus didn't know what to say, so he just grinned at his incredibly good friends.

They did manage to get Peter through the transformation by the next full moon. At first, he was obviously embarrassed at becoming a rat. He felt he wasn't going to be any help in controlling the wolf. However, his usefulness became apparent when he could get into small spaces the others could not. Peter could sneak up on the Whomping Willow and press the knot to allow the others access, for one thing. When they began mapping the grounds and castle after their first adventure, he became even more useful. They quickly convinced Peter that having a sneaky rat around could be very advantageous. Remus was glad to see Peter feeling better about himself.

Peter wasn't the only one who felt better. After their first full moon together, Remus awoke less injured than he could ever remember. His body still ached miserably from the transformation, but he hadn't tried to _chew his arm off_. He had a few claw and bite marks that he assumed where from Sirius, or Padfoot, as they had nicknamed him. Sirius had a few to match, though he didn't seem to mind. James, or Prongs, had a rather nasty bite on his shoulder that explained the spray of round bruises on Remus' chest. Remus realized that a rack of antlers was a formidable weapon. Peter was the only one who came out of the night none the worse for wear, but they all agreed it had been a great adventure. Remus just wished he could remember it.

In no time, the term was over and the Christmas break was upon them. As he rode the train home, Remus decided that his fifth year was shaping up to be the best yet. Now, if they all made it through O.W.L.s, life would be as close to perfect as it could get.


	7. Delectable Dellington

**Chapter 7 Delectable Dellington**

**Summary: _Boys will be boys_**.

The Christmas break went quickly. Remus had enjoyed the time with his parents but, as usual, was glad to be back at Hogwarts. He knew this term would be stressful with the approach of O.W.L.s in a little over four months, but he wouldn't start worrying about that for a couple of weeks. Right now, he wanted to find his friends.

He made his way towards Gryffindor tower to put his things away. His mother had sent him back with her usual supply of homemade chocolate treats, and he was looking forward to sharing them and catching up on the others' holiday. It had been a quiet train ride. Peter's parents had been planning to bring him back a day or two early so that they could spend some time in Hogsmeade. He knew Sirius had been planning to come back early since he couldn't bear to be with his family over the entire two weeks, and James hadn't been on the train so, Remus figured he must have convinced his parents to let him come back early as well. James had invited Sirius to his parents, but Sirius knew his mother would not have allowed anything that would have been fun for him. Sirius said the only reason he was able to come back to Hogwarts early was a letter he had forged from Professor McGonagall saying he had detentions to perform. The forgery had been risky enough, but sneaking into McGonagall's office to get the Hogwarts stationary, even under the invisibility cloak, had been evidence of Sirius' desperation to get away from his family.

Remus found their room empty, although there were signs of James' and Sirius' presence scattered about their beds. Peter didn't seem to have arrived yet. Knowing him, he would come running in just in time for the welcome back feast. The Marauder's Map was missing so they were probably working on it, and Remus was anxious to join them. He had a few ideas where they might have gone and after much searching, he finally found them coming from the direction of Hufflepuff House. James was stuffing the invisibility cloak into his robe pocket. When they spotted him, they grinned mischievously.

"Welcome back, Moony," said James. "We were just coming to get you."

"Thanks…been surveying without me, I see. What did I miss?" he asked curiously.

"Not much…we got the entrance to Hufflepuff and actually made it into the common room with a couple of first years. We didn't get the dorms though," said James.

"Too much activity with everyone arriving from break," added Sirius. "Plus, we need Wormtail to get into the girls' dorm. Bloody sliding stairs."

"You mean you decided not to go for Ravenclaw?" asked Remus with a teasing smirk. "I figured you'd want to be able to start tracking Haversham…or Roberts…or Brannigan…or Wilkins or…"

"Alright, we get it," snapped Sirius with a grin. "We thought you'd like to help with that one yourself."

As they rounded the corner, they saw Peter approaching from the direction of the main entrance. He seemed a little more distracted than usual and almost walked right past them.

"Oi, Wormtail!" called Sirius. "Wake up!"

"Oh…hi, I was just coming to find you," he answered.

"You almost ran over us. What's up?" asked James.

"Sorry, I was thinking about this woman I just saw with McGonagall," said Peter dreamily. "She's got to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." The three friends rolled their eyes at the familiar statement.

"That's what you said about my cousin Bellatrix in first year," said Sirius.

"And his cousin Narcissa in second year," said James.

"And Marissa Patil," added Remus.

"And Victoria Bellmonte, and Caroline…"

"No, really," interrupted Peter. "I'm not kidding. You should see her. She looks like one of the models out of a Madam Malkins' catalogue or that French magazine you always nick from Hestia."

"Well, who is she?" asked Sirius, his curiosity now peaked.

"I don't know," said Peter. "Maybe she's a new teacher or maybe she's here to assist Madam Pomfrey since you lot have kept her so busy this year."

"What makes you think she's staying and not just here for a meeting or something?" asked Remus.

"Well, she had a trunk and an owl cage with her," said Peter.

"How old is this woman?" asked Sirius.

"How should I know?"

"You saw her, didn't you? Is she twenty or a beautiful forty something?" asked Sirius irritably.

"What difference does it make?" Peter asked defensively. He never liked being pressed for information.

James and Sirius sighed in annoyance. They often became exasperated with Peter over what they saw as his rather careless attitude and lack of attention. Of course, they didn't necessarily take into account that what _they_ might see as deserving of attention, Peter might find unimportant. Unlike Sirius, Peter was highly unlikely to actually consider the possibility of becoming involved with the _most beautiful woman he'd ever seen_. Therefore, her actual age wouldn't be of much importance to _him_.

"It makes a huge difference, Peter," said James.

"Well, she's young…probably just out of school or early twenties or so," Peter said hesitantly.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Is she married?" asked Sirius as Remus rolled his eyes and laughed.

"You are such a lecher, Padfoot. You haven't even seen the woman much less learned anything about her, and you already want to know if she is married," said Remus.

"Well, if she's married there's no need to get to know anything else about her, is there?" asked Sirius reasonably.

"At least you draw the line somewhere," said Remus thankfully.

"Actually, that depends on how badly Wormtail is exaggerating her good looks," he said with a devilish grin and waggle of his brow.

"Evans is right, you are a cad," said James evenly.

"So, is she, Wormtail?" asked Sirius ignoring James.

"Is she what?" asked Peter.

"_MARRIED_, you pillock," said Sirius.

"Well, how should I know?" groaned Peter. Remus felt sure Peter was sorry he had brought it up.

"By looking to see if she was wearing a ring, maybe?" asked James condescendingly.

"Really, Wormtail, remind me never to send you on a reconnoiter mission," said Sirius. "You see what you say is the most beautiful woman in your life and you don't even check to see if she's available?" He shrugged in complete disgust.

"I guess if you want something done right, you should do it yourself, Padfoot," said James.

"Right…let's go. Check the map to see if we can spot McGonagall."

James looked around to make sure they were still alone and unfolded the parchment. He tapped it and said quietly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." A partially drawn map of the school appeared and was suddenly covered with swarms of tiny moving dots.

"We have to figure out how to add a searching feature to this. There are just too many people. It's too hard to find anyone in particular," said Remus as he looked over James' shoulder.

"Good idea. Why don't we work on that after the feast tonight?" said James.

"Check the main hall," said Peter hopefully. "They were by the stairs near the entrance."

"No sign of McGonagall," said James. "But, who is this? I don't recognize that name." He pointed to a stationary dot at the top of the stairs.

"Lindinara Dellington… I don't recognize it either. That's probably her," said Remus.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Sirius as he turned to go towards the main hall.

As they made their way through the maze of hallways and staircases, James glanced at the map to see if she was still there. He informed the others that she had been rejoined by McGonagall. They were headed down the main hall in the direction of Professor Dumbledore's office, and if they wanted a glimpse before she disappeared up the spiral staircase, they better get moving.

"Wait a minute. Look who it is," he said still looking at the map. "We have got to plot the Slytherin area. They could have come up right behind us."

Dots labeled Snape, Grayson, Rosier and Dagget suddenly appeared in the passageway they knew led to the Slytherin dungeons. They were on a collision course with the Marauders and that was never a good situation.

"Come on, let's just hurry. I don't want any trouble our first night back," said Remus.

"Aw, Moony, don't be a kill joy," said James with a dangerous tone.

"Besides, we owe them for that stunt right before end of term exams," added Sirius with a glint in his eye.

"I thought you were anxious to see if Ms. Dellington is as delectable as Peter claims," said Remus hoping to divert their attention from the approaching Slytherins.

"Right…we can take a peek and still be ready for Snivellus and his slime brigade," said Sirius.

Remus sighed heavily. It looked like they would be starting out second term with a clash even though he would really rather find a way to peacefully coexist with Snape and the rest of the Slytherins. But, they really made that impossible didn't they?

They approached the entrance to the Main Hall and halted roughly five meters from the opening to the Slytherin corridor where Snape and the others would enter the hallway. From where the Marauders stood, they could see several suits of armor lining the Main Hall

"We'll take them here. Then we go into the Main Hall. They'd have to be bigger berks than we think to come after us right in front of Dumbledore's office. That way, it's fast, clean, and over in time for the feast," said James eagerly.

"Right, you stand lookout, Moony. Make sure McGonagall doesn't come up behind us," said Sirius. "If we get caught you can still say you tried to talk us out of it like a good prefect." He patted Remus on the shoulder to show there were no hard feelings and grinned as he mentally planned the upcoming duel.

"Yeah, Moony, just do the ol' prefect number and tell us to knock it off," said James.

"Can't I just tell you to knock it off now before you actually get started?" asked Remus hopelessly.

"Nah, I haven't hexed Snivellus in three weeks. My wand is itching to get him," said James as he handed Remus the map.

Remus looked at it dismally and saw McGonagall and Dellington halt outside Dumbledore's office. He watched for a moment as McGonagall entered, but left the other woman in the hallway.

"Well, she's out there waiting if you want to go check her finger, Padfoot," he said quietly.

But, they could hear the Slytherins by now.

"You go, Moony. Check her out for me." Sirius winked and reached for his wand.

Remus rounded the corner, looking down the hallway towards Dumbledore's office. She was standing about twenty feet away with her back to him as she studied the portraits and tapestries lining the walls. _So far, so good_. She had long, thick chestnut hair that hung a couple of inches below her shoulders. It gleamed in the flickering light of the torches mounted on the walls. She was holding a plain black cloak and was wearing robes that looked very like…an unsorted Hogwarts uniform? _Could Peter's beautiful woman actually be a new student?_ he wondered as he started to walk towards her.

Suddenly, the sounds of hexing could be heard from the hall around the corner. Remus winced at the sound of the first spell making contact as the woman turned, startled by the noise. She jumped back slightly when she saw him coming towards her, and he was struck by her beauty. Peter had not been exaggerating this time. She was truly stunning. Not in a fresh-faced youthful way, she was a woman: dark and sultry. She looked so familiar. She watched him as he drew nearer, her dark eyes widening with panic as the sounds of hexing grew louder. But Remus was temporarily distracted from the battle being waged behind him. The image of his fantasy, taken from the pages of a childhood story book, stood before him. Princess Milena had been with him during the innocent, imaginary games of his youth and the not-so-innocent imaginings of his burgeoning adolescence…and here was this girl with flowing dark hair, sun kissed skin, and unbelievable brown eyes looking back at him as if she had climbed out of his fantasies. The only things she was missing were the brightly colored robes and her crystal ball. Remus felt completely mesmerized until she jolted him back with a squeal. A red flash came flying into the hall from the corridor where his friends were now engaged in a fully fledged battle.

"What is going on back there?" she whimpered.

He glanced back just as Peter came scurrying around the corner followed by James and Sirius. They took cover behind three of the suits of armor lining the hall. The next thing Remus knew, a blast of yellow light was coming towards him from the corner. He ran at the girl quickly and dragged her to the floor behind the gargoyle guarding the door to Dumbledore's office.

"You better stay down," he said as he reached for his wand. Clearly this had gotten well out of hand. Snape and the others had obviously been joined by more Slytherins. Remus shook his head at the carelessness of his overly confident friends. It was not a good idea to attack when they were right in the path to the Slytherin house.

"Alright, that's enough!" he shouted. "Everyone, lower your wands!"

"Who's going to make us?" shouted a Slytherin.

"I'm a _prefect_ so break it up!" Remus peeked around the statue as another bolt of light flew by, barely missing him. He dove back down and looked at the girl crouched beside him. She flinched every time a spell was cast and looked up at him fearfully. Once again, he forgot what was happening as his eyes locked on hers. She had large, thickly lashed eyes. They were a rich chocolate brown. _Sirius would definitely call those bedroom eyes_. Remus realized he must have held her gaze too long because she blushed and turned away as though she had read his mind.

Suddenly, the office door opened and Professor McGonagall looked down at him and the girl huddled together on the floor. Her eyebrow flew up and she pursed her lips disapprovingly.

"_Mr. Lupin_?" she said tersely. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing?"

He stood up to address her and was rewarded with a blob of thick green slime smacking the side of his head. The girl screamed as she jumped to avoid the splattering mess.

"_What is the meaning of this_?" shouted McGonagall as she stepped out into the corridor and walked briskly to the corner. She glanced around it and grimaced before turning to James, Sirius and Peter. "I should have known! All of you, in my office _at once_!" she said hotly. She walked back to the statue where Remus stood covered in slime. The girl was now standing against the wall holding her cloak up protectively.

"What happened here?" she asked Remus brusquely.

"I don't know exactly," he said. It wasn't a complete lie and he couldn't snitch on his friends, could he? He really didn't know_ exactly_ what had happened, but McGonagall looked unconvinced.

"Come now, Mr. Lupin, your friends are up to their eyeballs in this and you right here… but you had nothing to do with it?" she asked suspiciously.

"He didn't, Professor," said the girl in a quivering voice. "He was already here when it started, and he tried to tell them to stop but they started trying to hex him for it." She sounded like she was still very much shaken.

"I see," said McGonagall sounding still slightly suspicious. "In that case, Lupin, please go to the Entrance Hall and gather Miss Dellington's trunk and cage and take them to my office." She pursed her lips unpleasantly when she looked at the side of his head. "Then go see Madam Pomfrey." She turned to the girl. "Follow me Miss Dellington, the Headmaster is waiting. He wishes to discuss your year."

"Yes, Professor," she said as she looked back at Remus. "Well…Thank you," she said awkwardly and headed towards the spiral staircase.

He watched as she walked--actually, she swayed—to the steps. Remus decided it was settled; she was _gorgeous_, with a rather spectacular body to go with that face. She turned back one last time and smiled as she threw him a tiny wave. Suddenly, recognition flooded over him. No wonder she had seemed so familiar. It wasn't just her similarity to his gypsy princess…he had actually seen Lindinara Dellington before. It had been at the Three Broomsticks, a couple of years ago. Remus remembered being intrigued by her for a while…and Sirius had tried to chat her up…He was brought out of his reverie by a tingling sensation on the side of his head where the green slime was hardening. He felt his scalp and realized it was starting to blister and his hair was coming out. He decided it was time to transport the trunk and get to hospital pronto.

When he arrived at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was busy with several of the Slytherins but, seeing him there, she left them to check him at once. He had a feeling he was one of her favorite patients even when she gave him a disapproving scowl. She was able to repair the damage to his head quickly, although he thought the hair in that spot still had a greenish tint to it. She told him to be thankful he still had hair and sent him on his way.

He gave the password to Gryffindor Tower and entered the common room to find Sirius, James and Peter sitting before the fireplace talking excitedly.

"It was worth it to get Snivellus back," said James heatedly. "I hope Madam Pomfrey takes her time removing the horns!"

"Moony!" called Sirius as Remus crossed the room to join them. "Can you please explain how you managed to be the only Marauder casualty in a battle you didn't even take part in?"

"Well, I was a little preoccupied trying to keep Miss Dellington from getting cursed her first day here to pay attention to you three cowering behind armor," he said sarcastically. "You call yourselves Gryffindors."

"We need brains as well as bravery don't we? And when you're outnumbered three to one, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor or something like that." James waved his hand absently. "Besides, we got Snivellus and so our mission was accomplished," he added gallantly.

"How about your mission? You had to have gotten a good look at her since you were practically on top of her. What's the verdict?" asked Sirius.

"Is Miss Dellington really delectable? Or does Wormtail just need a date?" asked James.

"Peter is right about her. She _is_ delectable. Wait till you see her. We'll have to put Padfoot on a leash." Remus didn't know why, but he hesitated to tell them she was the girl Sirius had tried to chat up two years ago. "But, I'm pretty sure she isn't going to join the staff."

"Then why does she have a whole trunk with her if she's just visiting?" asked Peter going on the defensive.

"I don't think she is just visiting. I think she's a new student…She must be a transfer or something. Professor McGonagall said Professor Dumbledore wanted to talk to her about her year, whatever that means. But you're right, Peter, she does look like a woman." Peter smiled at Remus gratefully.

"So, assuming I'm right, will you three be watching her sort or will I have to fill you in after you get back from detention?" Remus asked reprovingly.

"Our week's worth starts tomorrow," said James.

"I wish I had stayed in Hogsmeade with my parents," said Peter dismally.

"Well," sighed Remus. "I guess I can get a head start on class work this week."

"I'm just glad the full moon is next week instead of this one," said Sirius. "I don't think I could stand having detention over that. But let's not let detention ruin the rest of the night. I, for one, want a look at this Delectable Dellington. So, come on. The feast will be starting soon."


	8. The Welcome Back Feast

**Chapter 8: The Welcome Back Feast**

**Summary: _The boys are still being boys, Lindi gets sorted and Sirius gets ideas._**

A/N: _As you will see, I'm no poet. Sorry_!

As they entered the Great Hall for the Welcome Back feast, Remus spotted the stool at the front of the hall upon which sat the tattered Sorting Hat. It was not completely unheard of to have a sorting aside from the First Years' at the beginning of first term but it was unusual. There had only been two other transfers in the four and a half years they had been at Hogwarts and those had both been the result of family deaths. The first was a Hufflepuff currently in sixth year. He had arrived in his fourth year after his mum, who had been home schooling him, died in a water accident when she was attacked by a kelpie. The other had arrived a year ago and was now a Slytherin fourth year. Remus didn't know the whole story, but his mum had brought him to London after his father died somewhere in South America where they had been living. He wondered what the circumstances surrounding Lindi's arrival might be.

"Looks like you were right, Moony," said Sirius also noting the presence of the Sorting Hat. "If she's as smashing as you and Peter say, I hope she sorts into Gryffindor."

They settled into their usual seats and noticed the staff was all in place with the exception of Professor McGonagall. She would be escorting Lindi for her sorting. He heard the large doors open and saw the professor enter, as Professor Dumbledore rose and walked to the podium. He stood there smiling pleasantly as the students slowly stopped their murmuring. It took longer than usual since there was a great deal of it centered on the dark-haired beauty following nervously behind Professor McGonagall.

"Holy crap!" whispered Sirius as he looked back at Remus. "You weren't kidding. Please let her sort into Gryffindor!"

"Amen!" added Peter.

She kept her head facing straight in front of her and only looked around with her eyes. Remus noticed many raised eyebrows and devilish grins being passed among the male population and more than a few smirks amongst the females. He suddenly felt sorry for her having to be so isolated at such a nerve wracking time. He was thankful he had been part of an entire class during his sorting. Having the whole school watching for the moment he was under the hat had been bad enough. When she and McGonagall reached the front of the hall, the Headmaster raised his hands to silence everyone.

"Good evening and welcome back. I hope you all had a pleasant Holiday. Before we get to our feast, we will be having the sorting of a new student who will be joining our fifth years," he said.

Remus was stunned. He had been sure she was older than fifth year. She just didn't look like she would be his age…or younger.

"Miss Lindinara Dellington comes to us from Bukalara School of Witchcraft in Australia. I would ask that you all make her feel welcome," Dumbledore continued as Lindi stood glancing nervously around at the staring faces.

"I'll do my best to make her feel welcome," said Sirius under his breath as James snickered.

"And those in her new house, I'm sure, will help her adjust to life at Hogwarts and fill in any course work gaps that may occur due to differences in school curricula. Now, Miss Dellington, I believe the Sorting Hat has something to say to you and then you may be sorted."

She looked at Professor Dumbledore as if he were mad and then at the hat warily. When the hat opened its eyes and smiled at her, she let out a small gasp and jumped back, almost knocking Professor McGonagall off balance. The on-looking students laughed as Lindi grimaced in embarrassment and apologized to the professor. Finally, the hat began its song.

_To Hogwarts School you've made a journey_

_From far away down under._

_Starting over is always difficult,_

_You fear that you will blunder._

_To make the very best new start,_

_You must go where you belong._

_And I can tell you where that is_

_For I have yet to be wrong._

_In which house will you find your friends?_

_In loyal happy Hufflepuff_

_Or ambitious Slytherin?_

_Will the new family you call your own_

_Be that of brave Gryffindor_

_Where daring deeds are grown?_

_Or is it made of Ravenclaws?_

_I'll answer if you put me on_

_To find your strengths and flaws._

_For some are not a perfect fit_

_For one house or another._

_Yet my job it is to sort you to_

_The house you suit more than any other._

The students applauded as Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and motioned for Lindi to take a seat on the stool.

As she climbed on,Lindi glanced up at the House banners hanging from the ceiling over each table. These were always on display for special occasions and a sorting, even for one student, would qualify.

Remus noticed her eyes widen slightly at the sight of the Slytherin banner. He wondered what she might be thinking or what she might have heard about the House of Slytherin.

McGonagall sat the hat on Lindi's head and they waited. Remus now wondered what the hat was saying to her since she had started to chew her lower lip nervously. The sorting took longer than most, and he assumed it was due to her advanced year. At one point, the Sorting Hat actually seemed to snort with laughter. Finally, it shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted with applause, although Remus noticed not all the girls seemed that enthusiastic about their new housemate. Sirius and Peter moaned in disgusted disappointment.

"Ravenclaw? Crap!" groaned Sirius. "Why does a girl like that end up in Ravenclaw?"

"Well, maybe she actually has a _brain_. There are many pretty girls in Ravenclaw, you know," answered Remus.

"Ahh, blast, what does a girl with a body like that need with a brain?" said Sirius.

"Bad luck, Padfoot," said James with feigned consolation. "You might actually have to make an effort with her."

"Yeah, you'll have to wait until at least tomorrow," added Peter.

Remus smiled knowing that Sirius probably would try to chat her up within the next few days. The smile faded as it occurred to him that he didn't much care for the realization. He wondered if Sirius would recognize her as the girl from the Three Broomsticks. He considered the fact that Sirius had so many girls; he wasn't nearly as likely to remember one from two years ago, when he'd only talked to her for a few minutes. Then he wondered if she would remember Sirius. Remus looked back over at Lindi who was now being welcomed to the Ravenclaw table, her uniform accented magically with the Ravenclaw blue. She was surrounded by a group of upper classmen, _men_ being the key word. She looked slightly uncomfortable and worked her way down to a seat next to a group of girls and sat down. The feast began.

"Red would have looked so much better on her," said Peter as he tucked into a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Yes, it would have. I always thought the mother of my children would be a Gryffindor," Sirius said jokingly.

"The way you are going, she will be…and a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff…but, probably not a Slytherin," said James as they all laughed.

"Are you disparaging my morals, Prongs?"

"Of course not, Padfoot…you know you don't have any."

Remus laughed along as he glanced back to the Ravenclaw table. It _would _have been nice having her in their house. Well, assuming she didn't turn out to be a snooty witch. He had a feeling she wouldn't since she had seemed nice enough earlier. But, Ravenclaw was alright. Unlike Sirius, he found a brain to be rather important. _So she's beautiful and smart! _he thought as he bit back a grin. That was a combination Remus Lupin found very attractive. _As if you would have a chance with a girl like that,_ he thought. _But, it doesn't hurt to dream…or just look._

The Marauders enjoyed the feast and caught up on each other's holidays. Then, Sirius, James and Peter filled Remus in on the specifics of their battle with the Slytherins.

"Maybe next time you'll just let it go," said Remus.

"You can't be serious. We _won_!" cried Sirius.

"How can you consider an entire week of detention winning? Not to mention the hundred and fifty points you lost Gryffindor," argued Remus.

"Yeah, well, Slytherin lost a fair few, too," said James defensively.

Then, the conversation turned back to the new girl and a lot of racy talk from the young men. Remus found his gaze often drawn to her sitting quietly at the Ravenclaw table. She smiled now and then at something that was said, and Remus thought she looked rather shy. _How can you look like that and still be shy?_ he wondered.

"Would you look at her…I can't believe she's just fifth year," said James lustfully. "Look at those lips." They were full, rosy, heart shaped lips.

"And those cheek bones," added Peter.

"Those eyes," said Remus, playing along. Of course, he _did_ think they were amazing.

"Those bristols," said Sirius, making the others laugh heartily as James practically snorted pumpkin juice out his nose. "I bet you five galleons I can get her in the broom cupboard within two weeks," he said.

"You must be feeling humble if you think it'll take you two whole weeks," said James tauntingly. "You usually think you can do it in two days…scratch that—two hours!"

"Yeah, did you have a bad experience over the break, Sirius?" asked Peter.

"Feel the _cold sting _of rejection, maybe?" James asked, grinning wickedly at his friend.

"Are you kidding? You know I'm the one who does the rejecting," Sirius said only half joking.

"Funny, but I don't believe you've ever rejected a girl yet," teased James. "You just can't say no, you tart!"

"I say no plenty," said Sirius haughtily. "So, the bet is five galleons on me…with her…in the broom cupboard…in less than two weeks. After all, I have detention all this week, don't I? What do you say, Remus? You're being awfully quiet. You didn't want a shot at her did you? I mean, you did see her first."

"What is she, a door prize? First one through wins?" Remus said lightly. "Besides, Peter actually saw her first." _If you don't include the time you tried to chat her up two years ago._

"Too true…what say you, Wormtail? Care to take a challenge?" asked Sirius.

"You're joking, right?" Peter said dismally.

"Fine, so the bet is five galleons. Are we on?" asked Sirius eagerly.

"I'll take it," said James. "Girl like that isn't going to be interested in some _fifth_ year, even if it is the heir to the _noble house of Black_."

Sirius snorted.

"That's a good point, James," said Peter. Peter could always be counted on to agree with James. "She probably only dates _older_ men. Count me in."

"Oh, ye of little faith," sighed Sirius. "Well, Remus?"

"That's too rich for my blood. Make it two and you're on," said Remus hoping she was as shy as she seemed. Of course, when you looked like she did, you probably had more dates in a month than he would have in his whole life. She did look much more mature than most her age, so James could be right. But, he'd never known Sirius to strike out with a girl yet. He had probably just made a really stupid bet.


	9. The Bet

**The Bet**

**Summary: _Will Sirius be up to the challenge?_**

****

When the Marauders arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on Tuesday morning, they discovered Lindi already settled in. Unfortunately, she had taken a seat on the opposite side of the room from their usual desks. She had her head propped in her hands, elbows on the table staring intently at her DADA text book, apparently oblivious to the commotion around her as the classroom started to fill with students.

"Well, are you going to go talk to her, Sirius?" asked Peter. "Now's your chance, before Professor Adamson arrives."

"Peter, Peter, Peter," said Sirius wagging his head. "That's far too obvious. It gives her the upper hand. It needs to be spontaneous, not forced."

"Huh?"

"Have you no sense of romance, Wormtail?" asked Sirius sympathetically. "A casual glimpse across a crowded room as your eyes meet…a chance encounter as you round a corner and collide into each other's arms…"

"Oh, brother!" cried James rolling his eyes.

Remus laughed at them and considered what Sirius had said. The fact of the matter was, in Remus' opinion, Sirius was not used to actually _trying_ to get girls. They just seemed to flock to him, and he would turn the charm on when he felt like it. Chances were, if he did make eye contact across a crowded room, everything would fall into place just the way Sirius wanted it. As he was considering Sirius' considerable talent with women, he heard someone call his name. Remus turned to see who it was, and noticed Lindi's head turn as well. Could she possibly have remembered him from the corridor battle?

It was Dalton Graves, one of Hufflepuff's prefects, calling him from the hallway.

"Hey, Lupin, would it be possible for you to trade patrol with me for tomorrow night? I'll take yours next week."

"Sure, that will be fine," he answered and turned to see Lindi looking around at him.

"Hello, Lupin, I see you still have your hair." She said, smiling at him. It was a dazzling smile.

He rolled his eyes in embarrassment and smiled back. "Madam Pomfrey is really good…she's the school nurse," he added in answer to her quizzical look. "So, how are you getting along?"

She shrugged and rolled her eyes as well. "If I can ever figure out my way around this castle, I'll be alright. It's a lot bigger than my old school. I got lost for forty-five minutes last night and ended up someplace rather scary."

"Don't feel bad, I've been here four and a half years and I still take wrong turns."

Lindi smiled gratefully and started to turn back to her book. As she did, she glanced around and caught Sirius' eye. Of course, he had been watching their exchange. He gave her one of his ultra cool, very slight crooked smiles. When she saw this, a shy grin played at the corners of her mouth and she looked away quickly, but then took a peek back as Sirius grinned wider. She blushed and looked away again, smiling coyly. Remus felt a stab of jealousy.

"How do you do that?" he asked quietly with a touch of awe. Sirius shrugged.

"It's a gift."

Class got underway with the arrival of Professor Adamson. Remus got the impression the teacher was testing Lindi since he called on her a disproportionate number of times. Fortunately for her, she had obviously prepared for the lesson. It was a good thing because Adamson could be brutally critical of anyone who had not. Remus was duly impressed with the breadth of knowledge she seemed to possess on the day's assigned topic. But, Adamson seemed determined to initiate her thoroughly when he asked her a question on something totally unrelated to the assignment.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she said after looking to the Ravenclaw girl beside her. "I wasn't aware that we were covering that today."

Remus felt a twinge of pity for her as Adamson gave her a satisfied smirk. They had covered the Grindylow in third year.

"Miss Dellington, you should have covered that long ago. As professor of this class, I do not have to confine myself to a given topic in order to hide your incompetence," He drawled. "I will expect a complete report on the Grindylow on my desk tomorrow morning."

She flushed and seemed stung by his harshness.

"Yes, sir," she said as she looked down at her notes.

Finally, class was over and the students gathered their things to go.

"That was a bit rough for her first lesson," said James.

"Yes, he really went out of his way to embarrass her," agreed Remus as he rolled his note covered parchment.

"Well, I think I might see if I can cheer her up," said Sirius with a waggle of his brow.

Lindi put her parchment and quill away and started to turn for the door.

"Miss Dellington, I'd like a word," said Professor Adamson coolly.

She flinched and took a deep breath before turning back and walking towards the front of the classroom and Adamson's desk.

"Looks like the cheering will have to wait," said James as Sirius made a disgusted face and they headed towards their next class.

The first week went by quickly, especially considering three of the Marauders had been in detention every night. Remus had taken the opportunity to have some quality time in the library getting a head start on upcoming lessons and the dreaded O.W.L.s. He managed to get a fair amount accomplished, although he found himself distracted from time to time by the presence of Lindinara. She had been there every night when he arrived, and on most nights, she was there when he left. He considered trying to talk to her a couple of times, but upon witnessing other boys make this mistake, he decided to let her study in peace. He really didn't want to be on the receiving end of her terribly irritated look. After Professor Adamson's word with her, she seemed determined to learn everything the extensive Hogwart's Library had to teach.

The only other class fifth year Gryffindors had with Ravenclaw was History of Magic. Lindi had taken a seat at the back of the class and would leave before they had a chance to get near her. By the weekend, Sirius was becoming irritated as he entered the second week of his bet. The deadline was closing in and Sirius hated to lose.

Lindi spent all of her free time in the library or somewhere in Ravenclaw tower. Even at meals, she seemed to have her nose in one book or another.

"She's worse than you, Moony," observed Peter as they sat eating their dinner.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus obliviously as his friends laughed.

"I didn't think anyone read more than you," answered Peter.

"Come on, Moony. You know you could have just as easily sorted into Ravenclaw with your innate love of learning," said James. "You study as much as most of those swots."

"Actually, it is an innate sense of self preservation. As you all know, I have to study. But, if I hadn't become a Gryffindor, I think I would have enjoyed Ravenclaw quite a bit," answered Remus. "There are some very attractive swots over there."

"Wonder where the delectable Dellington swot is?" asked Sirius. "As if I have to ask."

Days continued to pass. As they sat at the Gryffindor table having dinner one night, Sirius looked over at the Ravenclaw table yet again and rolled his eyes.

"This is getting ridiculous!" he said sounding quite peeved at her absence once again. "Mother Nature wouldn't waste a body like that on someone who doesn't know how to appreciate it. Surely she can do more than hide her lovely nose in a book!"

"I think someone is getting a little anxious about a certain bet he is now wishing he hadn't made," said James.

"I think I might feel bad about taking your galleons on top of the bitter disappointment you will undoubtedly feel over your first failure to get the girl," said Remus feigning sympathy.

"Not me! I could really use them," chimed Peter.

"Don't count my galleons just yet," said Sirius. "But, even if I lose the bet, it doesn't mean I can't still get the girl. I have a feeling a trip to the broom cupboard with her would be reward enough on its own."

"It sounds like you are conceding defeat, Padfoot," said James reaching over and resting his hand on Sirius' forehead. "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey."

"I concede nothing," said Sirius brushing James hand away irritably. "But, I have to admit that even I can't get a girl I never see. If Adamson wasn't such a miserable wanker, this bet would have been won last week."

Remus remembered Lindi's reaction to Sirius; how she had smiled shyly and blushed when he had smiled at her. Sirius was probably right, he thought with a hint of disappointment.

"Dellington arriving," whispered Peter breaking in on Remus' thoughts.

They looked over at the entrance to see her walking into the Great Hall struggling to maintain control of a large stack of books and papers. Before she had made it more than ten feet, two boys had asked if she needed any help.

"No, thank you, I can handle it," she replied with just a hint of irritation though she was obviously trying to be polite.

"Looks like you've got some competition, Sirius," teased James.

"Who, those prats? Not a chance," said Sirius confidently. "My only obstacle is time… _Private_ time. I can't get any."

Suddenly, he got a glint in his eye and smirked mischievously. He discretely pulled his wand from his robe and aimed it at her as she started to pass on her way to the Ravenclaw table.

"What are you going to do, hex her?" asked Remus bemusedly. "Afraid I'd have to report you for that, mate. Besotting spells are against school policy, as you well know."

Sirius simply smiled and the next thing they knew, books were crashing to the floor all around them. Instinctively, Remus rose to help but, Sirius grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his seat.

"Mine, mate," he said as he cast threatening glances to three Hufflepuffs who had started towards her.

"Here, let me help you with those," he said charmingly as he knelt down to help her. She looked up and smiled gratefully. "Opening your own library, are you?"

She blushed with embarrassment as she glanced around at the students who had stopped eating to watch. "Thanks. I shouldn't have tried to bring them all, but I lost track of time and didn't want to miss dinner trying to get them back to the dorm. I should have just left them at the library and gone back to get them afterwards… instead of making such a twit of myself."

"Well, then we wouldn't have had the chance to finally meet," said Sirius putting on his most dashing smile. "I'm Sirius Black, Gryffindor. We have Defense together."

"Yes, I know." Her blush deepened. "Lindi Dellington, Ravenclaw." She smiled brightly as she reached for his outstretched hand and shook it before reaching for the books he now held. "Well, thank you again, Sirius."

"Oh, no…I'll carry these for you," he said.

"That won't be necessary, Black. We can handle it from here. But, thanks for helping," said Jeffrey Daniels, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team captain who was sauntering up with a Ravenclaw sixth year whose name Remus didn't know. "We'll take these to the common room for you, Lindi. You won't need them for dinner." They took the books and parchment from an irritated Sirius and started for the hall as Lindi thanked him again and headed to her table. Sirius walked back over to his friends who were grinning at him in great amusement.

"Too many people running interference, Padfoot," said James. "That's too bad." He didn't sound very sincere as he had five galleons riding on Sirius striking out. Remus didn't think it was all that unfortunate either, though he suspected it was for slightly different reasons.

"That was pretty slick the way you made the books fall and she thought she had done it herself, though," said a clearly impressed Peter.

"Yeah, well, I've made first contact, so things should start moving along," said Sirius as he casually popped a grape into his mouth and stood to leave.

The next morning, they arrived for Defense and found Lindi seated at her desk talking animatedly with a fellow Ravenclaw, Leanna Haversham. Leanna was a tall, lovely blonde who had really blossomed over their fifth year.

"Oh, no," groaned Sirius quietly. "Don't tell me they are going to be friends."

"Why not? Haversham's alright," said Remus looking very pale since it was now the day before the Full Moon.

"Yes, I know," snapped Sirius. "If she keeps improving the way she has this year, she'll be one of the hottest girls in school."

"Alright, so what's the problem?" asked Remus looking befuddled. He knew he was clearly missing something, but he felt like warmed-over dragon dung.

"You don't want all the good looking girls being friends, do you?" asked James.

Remus still looked confused.

"Wake up, Moony! If they're all friends, you only get a shot at one of them. Girls are not into sharing when it comes to blokes," said Sirius pointedly.

"Ahh," said Remus with comprehension. He shook his head and smiled. He should have seen that a mile away.

Professor Adamson called the class to order and the lesson got underway. Though he asked Lindi several obscure questions, she managed to have perfect answers and, by the end of class, Adamson had failed to humiliate her. When class dismissed, she started out with Leanna and as she approached the door, she glanced over her shoulder in their direction. Sirius grinned and nodded a greeting as Remus noticed her face flush and she smiled back shyly. On Lindi, shy was very sexy, and he realized she was actually flirting with Sirius. The stab of jealousy came back and he chastised himself. _Did you really expect anything else?_

He was amazed at Sirius' restraint as he very casually gathered his things while she continued for the door. If Lindi Dellington had just smiled at _him_ that way, he felt sure he would be a blithering fool, although Remus Lupin had never been a blithering fool about anything. It simply wasn't in his nature.

"Hey, Dellington! Wait up," Sirius finally called just as she was passing through the doorway.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"I'll catch you lot later," Sirius said quietly and walked almost lazily to the door where she stood waiting.

"Nice recovery from last week," they heard him say as she blushed slightly.

"Thanks, I think I read every book you've been assigned since your first year…I don't want to get caught off guard again," she said.

"Then you are due for a break," said Sirius.

"Ha! I wish," she laughed dismally. "Now I have to catch up on my other classes…" her voice trailed off as the two headed into the corridor together.

"Blast it!" moaned Peter. "I could have used those bloody galleons."

They were seated in their next class, Divination, when Sirius came strolling in looking well chuffed. He sat down and leaned back in his chair at his leisure.

"Well?" demanded James impatiently.

Sirius leaned forward in the chair and reached for the crystal ball sitting in the middle of the table.

"Let's see what the orb has to say," he teased. He looked intently at the swirling mist filling the globe. "Hm… I can't quite make it out…It's too foggy. No…wait…that's not fog….It's all the _steam_ coming out of the broom cupboard!" Sirius grinned wickedly.

"You did it? You won the bet?" cried Peter.

"Not yet, Wormtail," said Sirius. "But, I laid the ground work. I think our delectable Dellington is a bit shy, if you can believe that. I might actually have to work a bit for this one."

Remus shook his head and smiled slightly at his friend. He was torn between feeling admiration for Sirius' incredible coolness and disgust for his rather lecherous attitude towards girls. He realized that, had he not known Sirius for the last four and a half years, he would probably think he was a rather smarmy git. Well, he could be one, actually. But, he was also one of the best friends Remus could imagine, and while Sirius had broken more than a few girls' hearts, he had never done so out of malice or deception. As far as Remus could tell, Sirius had never tried to make a girl think he felt anything more than he actually did. Of course, he had never been in the broom cupboard with Sirius and one of his dates, but he found it impossible to believe Sirius had ever told a girl he loved her just to get in her clothes. The girls knew Sirius and if they tried to tame him, they did so at their own risk.

Of course, Lindi was new and didn't know Sirius' reputation. But, when you looked like she did, Remus figured she was bound to have loads of experience dealing with all sorts of men.

That evening at dinner, Remus saw Sirius and Lindi glance flirtatiously at one another more than once with her blushing furiously each time. He found it endearing and oh so sexy that she blushed at just a seductive smile. He saw her smile at Sirius again… _Lucky git..._ as she stood and headed for the door.

"She is so hot!" breathed Sirius lustily. "I'll almost feel guilty taking your money for something that is going to be so bloody fabulous." He stood and followed her quickly out of the Great Hall leaving the three friends smirking after him.

"He really is a cad," said Remus matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," agreed James. "But he's so damn good at it; it's like an art form."

They finished their dinner and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. On the way, they saw Sirius and Lindi standing together at the end of a hall leading towards Ravenclaw Tower. Lindi's back was against the wall as Sirius stood over her with one hand casually propped against it. She was looking up at him rather timidly, Remus thought. The three slowed their pace as they passed the hallway and saw Sirius lean into her. Remus felt his stomach knot. Sirius was making his move. As he did, Lindi's eyes widened and she twisted away from him laughing nervously. She nearly ran to the Ravenclaw entrance looking back at him and giving him an almost apologetic smile. Sirius watched her in amusement as she headed down the passage to her house.

He turned and started back up the corridor in their direction and grinned when he noticed them standing there. "Taking notes, eh, boys?"

"Didn't see anything worth noting, did you?" James said smirking towards Remus and Peter.

"Unless you count her running for the door?" said Remus straight faced. "She's rather agile."

"She looked like she thinks you bite, Padfoot," said Peter.

"Well, I do, don't I?" said Sirius waggling his brow. "But, she's just being coy."

They headed back to the dorm. That evening, Remus and Peter went to the library to study while James and Sirius played wizard chess in the common room. Remus would have liked to stay in the dorm and rest but he wanted to finish his potions essay that was due on Monday. He really didn't want to have to try to focus on potions over the weekend while he recuperated from Friday's full moon. When they got to the library, they saw Lindi with some of her housemates. After a little while, Remus noticed Peter staring at them.

"What's up, Peter?" he asked.

"I was just thinking how lucky Sirius is. Can you even imagine being with a girl like that?" he asked, his voice full of desire.

"Well, yes, Peter…I can _imagine_ quite a lot." Remus smiled sheepishly.

"Lucky you…I can't even imagine it in my dreams," Peter said gloomily as Remus laughed.

The following day, the four Marauders were on their way towards the Great Hall for dinner when they noticed a group of girls entering the castle apparently returning from the Herbology greenhouses. As Gryffindor had the displeasure of taking the class with Slytherin, it stood to reason that Hufflepuff would be paired with Ravenclaw. So it was not unusual to see girls from the two houses conversing as they entered the hall and proceeded to unwrap themselves from their scarves and winter cloaks. They pulled their wands and dried the snow from their feet. Lindi stood at the center of the group listening raptly to the obviously interesting story being told by Hufflepuffs, Breah Donovan and Patsy Baumgartner. As the Gryffindors drew nearer, the girls' conversation quieted and they glanced around at the boys. When Lindi looked their way, Sirius smiled charmingly and continued towards the entrance to the Great Hall while the girls struggled against the grins threatening to spread across their faces. When the boys passed into the Great Hall, they could hear the outburst of giggling coming from the cluster of girls. At this, they looked around at one another, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads, but they definitely did not giggle.

"Ever get the feeling you're being talked about, Padfoot?" asked Remus.

Sirius simply rolled his eyes again but couldn't help grinning. Remus couldn't blame him. He felt certain that if Lindi Dellington's friends were teasing her about _him_ like that, he would have a well chuffed grin on his face as well.

They watched from their seats as the gaggle of girls entered the hall and started to go to their separate house tables. Before they could divide up, Breah grabbed Lindi by the arm, pointing towards a girl who had just risen from a seat at the Hufflepuff table and flagged the girl to join them.

"Awww, NO-O-no-no-no," groaned Sirius as he shook his head miserably. "Don't talk to that nutter!"

"Who, Fern Starling?" asked James with great amusement at this development. "Oh! This should win you loads of points with delectable Dellington," he said without even trying to hide his mirth.

Remus had to smile too, although he was feeling miserable due to the impending full moon.

"Fern Starling?" asked Peter thoughtfully. "Isn't she the one who told everyone you besotted her with a love potion while you were in Hogsmeade last year?"

"Yes, Peter!" hissed Sirius. "She would be the raving lunatic! As if I need to give a girl a love potion!"

Remus thought back in amusement to the previous year. Sirius had snogged Fern while on a Hogsmeade visit and she had believed they were an item. When he failed to ask her out for the following weekend, she had been embarrassed and hurt. Remus, at the time, had felt sorry for her until she had accused his friend of illegally using magic to take advantage of her. While most people realized the absurdity of the charge, she had insisted she would never have fallen for mere lines and a few of her friends refused to doubt her. From time to time, Sirius and his friends had a laugh over the nonsense, but Remus knew it had proven embarrassing for Sirius when Professor McGonagall called him to her office to discuss the situation. Even though she clearly knew the accusation was total rubbish, she had suggested that "in future you use better judgment when choosing your…_friends_…or better yet, exercise a bit of restraint, Mr. Black."

As Lindi listened to whatever rantings Fern provided, her eyes widened in disbelief and turned to her friend, Leanna Haversham. Leanna rolled her eyes dismissively and they heard something about "a load of rubbish!" as she stalked off leaving Lindi with the still chattering Fern. Finally, Lindi smiled awkwardly and joined Leanna at the table for dinner.

While Remus tried to force himself to eat even though he had no appetite, he couldn't help noticing that Lindi seemed to be avoiding Sirius' gaze. Sirius seemed well aware of this as well and he pursed his lips in frustration.

"It didn't look like she took anything Fern was saying seriously," said James encouragingly, though he looked a bit disappointed. He still had that five galleons riding on this bet.

"Besides, they could have been discussing something else," offered Remus as he squeamishly moved the food around his plate before finally giving up and dropping the fork. "Possibly a Herbology assignment?"

"Oh, please! Who is going to ask for Starling's opinion on an assignment?" snapped Sirius. "That girl is thicker than Hagrid's chest."

"Well, regardless…I have to get going. Are you going to stay here and do damage control or will you be at the shack?" asked Remus darkly.

"Don't be daft! Of course I'll be at the shack." Sirius sounded almost hurt as Remus stood and made his way weakly to the hall and disappeared.

The following day, the three Animagi took advantage of the fact that the full moon had fallen on a Friday. It was always a chore to stay awake during lessons after roaming all night. But, this being Saturday, they could sleep all day if they wished. By mid afternoon, Remus had returned from the hospital wing and sat down on his own bed. He had an amused look on his face as he glanced around at his still sleeping friends. He considered doing some homework, but realized, in his exhausted state, that would be futile. Instead, he got the Marauders Map and played around with a way to add a searching feature.

Finally, his friends awoke and they went down for dinner. To Sirius' great displeasure, Lindi continued to avoid eye contact and managed to leave the Hall before he had finished his meal. That wasn't good for Sirius since he had only one day left.

They headed back to the common room and came across two Ravenclaw girls they had often seen with Lindi, Darlene Wilkins and Constance Powers. Sirius decided time was running out and abandoned all pretenses at subtlety.

"Hey, Wilkins, has Dellington said anything about me and Fern Starling?" he asked bluntly.

The two girls looked at each other in delight.

"She might have said something about it," answered Darlene.

"Well, what did she say? She doesn't actually believe that rubbish?" asked Sirius impatiently.

"No…well, not about the love potion, if that's what you mean. She's learned enough to know you wouldn't need to resort to that," said Darlene with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Well, when you've snogged half the girls in school, one would assume you wouldn't need to resort to love potions. Although…that might be what it takes for you to win over Lindi. Isn't that right, Constance?"

The other girl giggled. "Yes, I'm afraid she doesn't seem any too keen on becoming the next notch in your broom stick."

"But, if it makes you feel any better, she did seem disappointed," added Darlene with a twisted smile.

The last day of the bet rolled by leaving Sirius with the inescapable conclusion that Wilkins and Powers were right. By Monday morning at breakfast, Sirius had paid up his debt to his three friends. Remus was only slightly sorry for him. This was a defeat none of them had really expected, but Remus felt it might do his sometimes arrogant friend a bit of good. Plus, he knew Sirius wasn't really emotionally involved. In the entire time he had been trying to chat Lindi up, Sirius had never even realized that he had met her before. Besides, Remus could always use the extra galleons, and, more importantly, Lindi had not allowed herself to become yet another of Sirius' conquests. He didn't know exactly why, but that was somehow very important to him. Remus knew there would never be anything between himself and Lindi, but he had really disliked feeling the twinges of jealousy towards Sirius. Of course, there was no guarantee that Sirius would give up. Knowing him, he might see this as an irresistible challenge. But, Remus told himself, she had not made it easy and that was something.


	10. Humiliation

**Humiliation**

**Summary: _Lindinara might look perfect, but everyone has flaws. What happens when Remus watches as one of Lindi's is exposed._**

****

Finally, January was drawing to a close. Their last Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the month was to be a practical one. James and Sirius were excited about it as they looked forward to any opportunity to hex one another and, even better, others, without the fear of detention. It was also a great opportunity to show off their considerable talent at wand work outside of Dueling Club. This was even true of Remus. Defense and dueling had always been his favorite and strongest areas.

When they arrived at the classroom, they found Lindi seated at her usual desk staring at her wand which was lying on the table in front of her. She looked pale, almost green. Remus wondered what she might have eaten or come down with that would make her look so miserable. It wasn't long into class when he found out.

They would be working on Disarming and simple Distraction spells. The Marauders would have preferred something a little more exciting but it was still more fun than lectures and theory. True to form, Adamson selected Lindi to start his demonstration. She walked nervously to the front of the class and stood before him. She was to disarm him with a simple _Expelliarmus_. Remus was not the only one surprised by her response to Professor Adamson's instruction.

"I'd rather not, Professor," she said weakly.

"Excuse me!" hissed Adamson. He was not used to having his instructions questioned, much less refused. "Miss Dellington, I'm not asking you for a date! I gave you an instruction and I expect you to follow it…Now!"

Her cheeks flushed with color, and she looked frightened as she clenched the wand tightly but seemed unable to raise it. Adamson waited. He got a very devious look on his face. Remus felt a worried knot form in his stomach.

"Very well, perhaps you need a bit of incentive," said Adamson coldly. He raised his wand and muttered something under his breath.

Lindi's hair started to whip around into her face, swirling madly about her head as she raised her hands to protect her eyes from the flailing strands. Some in the class chuckled while others looked on sympathetically. By the time Adamson released her from the hex, her hair was a wild and tangled mess and she was slightly out of breath. Though disgusted with himself, Remus couldn't stop thinking how incredibly sexy she looked standing there glaring at the professor with a mixture of anger and humiliation on her face. He felt a pleasurable flutter in his belly at the thought of what else she might do to get her hair so mussed and leave her breathless.

"_Crap, Remus! You should be ashamed of yourself!_" he thought. He got the impression he wasn't the only one as he noticed the looks passing amongst the boys in class. Even Professor Adamson seemed to be leering at her for a brief moment.

"Oh, my, Miss Dellington," taunted Adamson. "Don't you like it when you aren't perfectly coiffured? Simply disarm me and you may have a moment to groom yourself."

Adamson was notorious for using humiliation and intimidation to _encourage_ his students to perform in his class, but he appeared to take exceptional pleasure in tormenting Lindi. Considering the man's brief leer, Remus wondered if Professor Adamson might be overcompensating for the fact that he, like many of the younger men, was enamored with the sultry, though young, new student. It wouldn't have surprised Remus. There had been rumors that the Professor had entered into relationships with a number of his former students once they had left school. He was relatively young and Remus knew many of the girls considered him handsome with his wavy blonde hair and cleft chin. Still, he couldn't imagine anyone really liking someone who could be as cold and cruel as Adamson.

"Well, Miss Dellington, I'm waiting," he said coolly.

But, she still seemed unwilling to attempt the spell. She endured several more minutes of torment from the professor. He caused her outer robes to fly over her head so that she could not see while he made a mess of her uniform, untucking her shirt and loosening her tie. At one point, Remus thought Adamson might actually start to disrobe her, but he seemed content with leaving her in a complete shambles. Maybe the professor believed being unkempt would be torture enough for someone like Lindi, who was probably used to looking _perfect_. The way she was looking daggers at him certainly suggested he had done quite enough. Again, Remus was struck by the notion that she seemed to be sexier the more disheveled she got and he was ashamed, once more, for taking any pleasure from her obvious discomfort.

Finally, she attempted to stop the abuse. With a shaking hand she raised her wand, and in a weak, quivering voice that was barely audible she said "_Expelliarmus_".

Remus winced as the spell missed wildly and caused a small table that stood against the wall to overturn. He instinctively drew his own wand, knowing that the chest resting on the table held a boggart which Professor Adamson kept for practice. As he watched the chest fall, he noticed several others register what was going to happen and draw their own wands. Of course, the boggart would face Lindi first since she was standing at the front of the class, and Adamson had walked away with a satisfied smirk, leaving her to face it alone. In the instant it took the chest to open upon contact with the hard slate floor, Remus hoped she had learned _Riddikulus_.

As the lid cracked open, a long black snake slithered out and began slowly winding its way towards her. Remus remembered the look on her face when she had noticed the Slytherin banner at her sorting; this would explain her reaction. She let out a horrified whimper reminiscent of a trapped animal as she started to back away. Sensing her fear, the boggart/serpent sped towards her. Remus wanted desperately to help but knew what the boggart would become if he did. Having a full moon floating over his head would be tantamount to standing in the middle of the Great Hall shouting "_I'm a werewolf…expel me!_" He knew he couldn't risk that kind of exposure. Surely someone would come to her aid. He felt a pang of guilt over his failure to do anything. As she backed away in near hysteria, she knocked over a chair while trying to climb it and ended up pressed against the wall, trapped in wide-eyed terror. In the next instant, she was a crumpled heap on the floor. She had fainted…and the boggart was almost upon her. Why wasn't Adamson doing something?

Remus couldn't stand it anymore, and just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and help her, James ran forward. Suddenly the snake became…Remus had to smile. In their fourth year they had all learned, to everyone's great amusement, that the thing the intrepid James Potter feared most was going bald.

Floating before James was the image of his own head, sans the mop of unruly hair that he prized so highly. This had turned out to be a relatively convenient form for a boggart to take since the roar of laughter it produced from the others served to weaken it to the point that James barely needed to repel it. Still, he waved his wand and cried, "_Riddikulus._"

The head of James was now covered in an absurdly large and floppy hat as Professor Adamson stepped forward, banishing the boggart back into the chest and repairing the broken lid to secure it. Then, he strode to where Lindi was just coming to. He scowled down at her as she struggled to her feet.

"I…I'm s-so…s-sorry , Professor," she stammered.

"Tell me, Miss Dellington, what kind of school did you attend _down under_…a Finishing School?" he spat derisively. "Perhaps the Dark Arts do not exist in the land of _no worries,_ and it is sufficient to know the art of batting one's eyes and smiling charmingly?"

She opened her mouth as if to defend herself but nothing came out. Red splotches appeared on her cheeks as though she had been slapped by his words.

Remus felt the heat rising in his own cheeks. He could not recall Professor Adamson ever getting quite so _personal_ in his criticism of another student and felt that this was crossing the line of appropriate behavior for anyone, especially a teacher. He noticed that Lily Evans was apparently struggling to hold her own tongue, as well. As a very strong woman, she no doubt considered Adamson's comments incredibly chauvinistic and offensive. But, the professor continued.

"Unfortunately, here in the _real_ world there are actual dangers from which good looks alone cannot protect you. Therefore, it is my unenviable task to _try_ to prepare you to protect yourself." Adamson's lip curled into a cruel smile. "Unless, of course, you plan to use your other considerable _assets_ to acquire a _man_ capable of doing it for you? No doubt you will have a plethora of champions from which to choose." Adamson smirked at her as she seemed on the verge of tears. Her lower lip was quivering as she stood frozen, unable to tear her gaze from the cold glare of the professor.

Remus felt his mouth drop. That was definitely out of line. While he had never really cared for Professor Adamson's harsh teaching technique, Remus had always gotten along with the man; whether that was because he was good at the class or he got along with most everyone, he wasn't sure. He hoped he wasn't about to destroy their agreeable, if not friendly, rapport.

"Professor Adamson," Remus said steadily. "That is out of bounds, sir."

He regretted it almost as soon as he had finished saying the words when Adamson turned to him with a very satisfied smirk.

"Ah, you see…you already have your first champion, Miss Dellington. So, the line forms behind Mr. Lupin." Adamson looked back at Lindi contemptuously.

While all other eyes turned to Remus, with Lily even giving him a proud nod, Lindi simply hung her head dejectedly and stared at the floor as she nearly glowed red. Remus couldn't remember ever wishing a Defense class would end so badly. Adamson seemed to feel he had achieved his goal of total humiliation and finally let the students get to their practice.

Meanwhile, he called Lindi to his desk and talked to her for several minutes. She didn't start to cry or look any more upset, so Remus figured it was alright to let it go. Then, Adamson walked amongst the students until he stopped beside Remus. While he didn't seem to be taking Remus' remark badly, he did give him lines as punishment. Remus owed Adamson two feet of parchment on which he would write _I, Remus J. Lupin, will not question the authority of the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts again._ He also took five points from Gryffindor for talking out of turn. Remus couldn't believe it. He never lost points…and he had been right! Actually, he _could _believe it. Remus had always known Professor Adamson could be a first-class wanker; he had even expected repercussions for speaking up. But, even if he had lost Gryffindor fifty points, he knew it had been the right thing to do.

Somehow, they still managed to enjoy the rest of the class since hexing each other was just so much fun. Everyone but Lindi seemed to enjoy it, anyway. Remus couldn't help but notice she was absolutely dreadful at it. At first he had thought she was simply nervous with the whole class watching, but now he realized it was more than that. He found it surprising since she had discussed the material so brilliantly during class lectures.

Finally, the bell rang. They returned to their desks to retrieve their belongings and left the classroom. Remus saw Lindi walking just ahead of them in the corridor. He picked up his pace to catch her.

"Hey, Lindi," he called apprehensively. When she turned and saw it was him, she rolled her eyes slightly in annoyance. He had expected a reaction like that so he pressed on. "I'm sorry about what happened…I…er…" he lost his train of thought when she looked up at him with those fathomless doe eyes. They were enchanting.

Lindi looked away quickly and sighed.

"Look…I know you meant well," she said forlornly. "But, please don't do it again. I can take care of myself."

A few arguments to the contrary came to mind, but she looked so defeated he couldn't bring himself to use them. "Alright," he said quietly as he watched her walk on towards the main hall.

Lily and his friends had witnessed this and came to join him.

"Don't worry about it, Remus. What you did was very noble and I'm sure she appreciates it. She's just embarrassed," said Lily. "I, for one, am very proud of you." She patted him on the shoulder and started to walk away.

"What about me, Evans?" cried James. "I saved her from that boggart!"

"Right, just another excuse to show off, eh, Potter?" she said. "Remus didn't do it for praise…he did it because it was the noble thing to do." She walked away as James gaped after her. Finally, he shook his head and turned back to his friends.

Remus looked at them and waited for the teasing to begin.

"Well, I can't believe you said that," said Peter. They all knew Peter was petrified of Adamson. "What were you thinking?"

James and Sirius laughed.

"Our gallant knight, here, couldn't resist the damsel in distress," said James.

"Especially when he saw how bloody hot she is all mussed and untucked, eh, Moony?" Sirius asked with a teasing grin.

"Yeah," said Remus smiling ruefully. "But she looked pretty cold just now. I won't likely make that mistake again."

"Well, you know what they say," Sirius said patting him on the back. "Nice blokes finish last."

"Then what's your excuse, Padfoot?" James said smiling cheekily and the four friends headed to their next class.


	11. Tutors and Teasing

**Tutors and Teasing**

**Summary: _Lindi needs a tutor, Sirius doesn't have to worry about the blasted bet, Quidditch gets underway and Remus lets off some steam. Very minor HBP spoilers. From here on out, I have incorporated revelations/information from HBP. _**

The following morning, the Marauders were sitting in their usual spot having breakfast when, to James' delight, Lily Evans came towards them. Unfortunately for James, she ignored his presence and sat down next to Remus.

"Hiya, Remus," she said cheerfully, holding out a piece of parchment. "The new prefect duty roster is out. Do you want to go over it and see if we might want to swap any patrols? I already spotted a conflict with Charm Club practice."

"Sure." Remus sat his fork down and wiped his hands on the napkin resting in his lap.

"Well, finish your breakfast first. I can wait," she said with a grin and sat the roster on the table. James grinned as well. The longer it took for Remus to eat, the longer James had to think of something to say to Lily; not that James Potter was ever at a loss for words.

"Hey, Evans," James said, his voice lowered an octave or two. "Are you coming to the match tomorrow?" Their first Quidditch match of the term was the next day against Ravenclaw.

"Thought I would," she said in a bored voice.

"Want to go to the victory party with me?" he asked confidently.

"What makes you so sure you're going to win?" Lily already sounded annoyed at his cockiness.

"Well, we're better than them, aren't we?" he said as if it were obvious. "They have a Chaser who's scared to death of Bludgers and a Seeker who couldn't spot a Snitch if it flew up his nose."

As much as Lily would hate to agree with anything James Potter said, she probably knew he was right. However, she chose not to admit it.

"So, want to go with me?" James asked again.

"Not likely, Potter," she said and before he could argue, Lindi Dellington walked up behind them.

"Excuse me…Lily Evans?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hi, Dellington, what's up?" asked Lily brightly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but, um…" Lindi looked around awkwardly at the group of boys who had started gawking at her. She seemed particularly discomfited when she caught Remus' eye and looked away quickly. "Well, I need to ask you a really huge favor."

"Alright, go ahead," said Lily encouragingly. Then she noticed the gawking boys as well. "Do you want to go somewhere else to talk?"

Lindi's face flushed slightly.

"No…that's alright. It's not exactly a big secret," she said dismally. "Professor Adamson told me I had to get a tutor for Defense." She looked embarrassed and went on quickly as if trying to get something unpleasant out of the way. "You were one of the people he suggested. I was just wondering if you might consider it. I realize I'm utterly hopeless but…he insists."

"Wow, I'm flattered," said Lily sincerely.

"I know it's asking a lot; especially when we aren't even in the same house. I asked Emmeline Vance but she's already swamped helping people get ready for O.W.L.s. Adamson said if I couldn't find someone, he'd make people do it as detention." Lindi grimaced. "I don't much care for the idea of being used as punishment."

The four boys turned away quickly to hide their amusement.

"Oh, go on and laugh!" Lindi said with a beleaguered smile. "Better to my face than behind my back. We all know I'm appalling."

"Your Defense is atrocious," said Sirius smoothly. "But, _you_ are definitely not appalling."

Lily flashed him a reproachful glare and turned to Lindi who was turning crimson.

"I'd be glad to help if I can. Come on, we'll go work out a schedule." Lily stood to go. "We can go over the roster later, if that's alright, Remus?"

"No problem," he said casually as he carefully avoided looking at Lindi until the two girls were walking away. If she wouldn't even look at him, he figured she was obviously still annoyed with him from the day before.

"Blast Evans!" snarled Sirius after the girls were gone. "Can you imagine having _that_ to look forward to for detention? That's a punishment I would gladly endure."

"No joke! Even Moony might get himself put in detention for that, eh, Moony?" teased James.

"I already told you…I learned my lesson yesterday," said Remus shaking his head. "I'm not a glutton for punishment like Padfoot."

Gryffindor won the Quidditch match handily the next day. Though the match itself had been a rout, the spectators had been given a bit of excitement when Ravenclaw Chaser, Chloe Brannigan, was knocked off her broom by a Bludger. Fortunately, she was very close to the field at the time and didn't have far to fall. Unfortunately for Ravenclaw's team, she was the already Bludger-phobic Chaser James had spoken of and word quickly spread that she would no longer be playing Quidditch. Hinson, Ravenclaw's Seeker, was ecstatic. As everyone who kept up with Quidditch knew, he had been dying to play Chaser and it seemed he would finally get the chance.

"Looks like it's down to us and Slytherin," said Phil Michaelson, the Gryffindor captain. "Again!" he groaned. To the rest of the school's disgust, Slytherin had retaken the Quidditch Cup the previous year by narrowly defeating Gryffindor. It had done nothing to improve the hostility between the two houses and particularly between James and Severus Snape. Although Remus enjoyed a good match, he just couldn't see getting so bent out of shape over a sport. But he had never been able to convince James that it just wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things and had long since stopped trying. Besides, he had to admit, he really did hate to see Slytherin win almost as much as the others did.

The following week, the Ravenclaw team held emergency tryouts for a new Seeker. James decided to go down to the pitch with Michaelson and watch since it paid to know the competition; it did if you were as competitive as he was, anyway. When he and Michaelson returned, they found the other Marauders sitting at a table on the far side of the common room. Peter and Sirius were playing Gobstones and Remus was sitting as far from the spitting stones as he could get as he blotted up a splatter that had landed on his homework.

"Well, how did it go?" asked Remus looking up from the piece of parchment in front of him.

"It was very interesting. You aren't going to believe who their new Seeker is," said James as he paused for effect. They looked at him impatiently. "Dellington!"

"_What_?" cried Sirius with an incredulous snort. "You mean Delectable Dellington can actually fly without causing mayhem? I assume she has more control with a broom than she has with a wand?"

"Oh, yeah," said James sounding awed. "She's actually a bloody great flyer. I was amazed. Of course, she _still_ might cause mayhem when everyone sees her in her Quidditch tights."

"Too true…I'd bet Daniels would have chosen her even if she wasn't a good flyer," said Michaelson. "She could be used as a distraction to the teams with male Seekers…hell, she could be a distraction to the teams with males, period."

"Well, one consolation is that she'll be just as distracting to her own team. Did you see Daniels?" asked James. "Mr. Thinks-He's-God's-Gift is definitely smitten."

"Yeah, I noticed that myself. That could work in _our _favor," said Michaelson. "Well, I'll see you lot later. Don't be late for practice, Potter."

James went up to the dormitory to put away his omnioculars and then rejoined them in the common room. He told them all about the tryouts and again what a great flyer Lindi was. He was obviously very impressed and Remus thought she must really be good. James was very serious about Quidditch and flying and, even though he thought Lindi was gorgeous, he was so smitten with Lily Evans that he would be very unlikely to let Lindi's looks influence his appraisal of her Quidditch abilities.

"She might not be able to hex her way out of a paper bag…but she can bloody well fly," James said emphatically.

"I wonder how her tutoring sessions are going?" asked Peter.

"I still haven't seen her perform a decent hex," said Sirius.

"No, but it's only been a week and she did block one last class…that's something," said Remus. Why did he feel compelled to defend her…even to his friends when she wasn't even there to be hurt; especially after what happened last week? She had made it very clear she didn't want his help, and since then, he had been sure to give her plenty of space. Still, he couldn't seem to stop himself.

February started melting away. With three and a half months left until O.W.L.s, Remus let himself enjoy a bit of mischief with his friends from time to time. They spent a good bit of time roaming the castle and made progress on the Marauder's Map, but they still needed some more work putting in a searching feature.

They had their first Hogsmeade weekend of the term over Valentine's Day. None of the Marauders had gotten dates since they were more inclined to enjoy themselves making fun of and pulling pranks on the ones who did. Since none of them were actually _dating_ anyone at the time, Sirius pointed out the fact that girls took the whole Valentine business _way_ too seriously and it was not a day for "casual dating". Of course, that didn't stop Sirius trying to chat Lindi Dellington up in the Three Broomsticks, but who could blame him? She looked more beautiful than ever, which Remus would have thought impossible. But her school robes tended to hide some of her "finer qualities" that were highlighted by her choice of weekend attire. Who would have thought a simple skirt and blouse could look so smashing? Of course, the addition of a very traditional wizarding-style waist cincher might have had something to do with it. It took a great deal of Remus' self-discipline to stop himself staring at her. They finally made poor Peter change seats with James so his back was to her and he would have had to turn all the way around to keep looking.

Sirius had taken to flirting much more brazenly with Lindi than during the bet. He seemed to be more interested in teasing her than trying to get her to go out with him, at this point. During prefect patrols, Remus seemed to run across him doing so on a fairly regular basis. Remus couldn't help but laugh along with Sirius when she would blush three shades of red and walk away too stunned or embarrassed to say anything, as was the case one night at the end of February. A few minutes before nine, Remus left James and Peter in the common room to make his rounds to be sure all fifth years and below were in their houses. Sirius was in detention and they had no idea when he would be back. As Remus wandered the corridors, he approached a corner and could hear Sirius' voice coming from around it. It was Sirius' _seductive_ voice, and Remus couldn't resist the temptation to eavesdrop a bit before breaking up whatever his friend might have going.

"I'd be glad to help you study," Sirius purred. "I can teach you a few _interesting_ things…I've been told I'm very good with my…er…_wand_."

As Remus shook his head in wonder at the nerve of Sirius, he heard a strangled whimper and knew who was on the other side of the wall. He casually walked around and found Sirius grinning devilishly, on the verge of full blown laughter, as Lindi stood gaping at him in mortification. Remus bit back a grin and cleared his throat.

"Ahem…" She jumped at the sound and looked at him guiltily, as if she had been caught doing something naughty.

"It's just about curfew. You need to get to your houses," he said as he looked down into her startled face. The blush on her cheeks deepened as she started rambling.

"Right, yes…I was on my way…we were just talking…I just ran into him and…" she averted her eyes swiftly and looked around at the floor and walls. "Well…we weren't doing anything…just talking…about school work…alright… goodnight." They watched in amusement as she practically sprinted down the corridor to her own house.

"Nice timing, Moony," said Sirius. "I think you do that on purpose."

"Right, as if you were going to pull her with a line like _that_. She already thinks you are a lecherous cad and that definitely confirmed it," teased Remus.

"Maybe so…but it's so much fun to watch her blush. It's so incongruent with the way she looks. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Remus nodded as a shy grin played on his face. He knew Sirius was talking about the fact that Lindi looked very _provocative_. She didn't need to actually come on to you, she simply looked at you and you wanted her. She had one of those faces that made you think _nothing_ could make her blush. After all, sexy goddesses weren't supposed to be bashful. Yet Lindi wandered around the castle turning red every time a boy crossed her path. Her timidity smacked of insecurity or inexperience, but how could a woman like Lindi be either? Remus looked at Sirius. "I know exactly what you mean."

Sirius smiled. They all knew Remus was as interested in girls as the next bloke, but he was much more subdued about it than many of the boys their age. He was amused by their discussions on any of their recent exploits or current crushes and was more than willing to discuss the considerable physical attributes of the models in the wizarding fashion catalogs they sometimes nicked from the common room. But Remus was never crude about it. It was also a chore to get anything out of him concerning his _own_ _exploits_. Remus was a gentleman at heart. They got very few details from him but could generally get the gist of things from reading the grins, blushes and shakes of his head when they pressed him about a date. He _tried_ to be a gentleman, but his three friends didn't make it easy on him.

"So, do you think she has?" asked Sirius with a wicked grin. "Shagged someone, I mean."

"I know what you mean," Remus said smiling bashfully. "I have no idea, but..." he paused and looked thoughtful. "If I had to wager a guess, I'd have to say no."

"Yeah, me, too," said Sirius grudgingly. "It's amazing; she looks like she'd shag you into oblivion. I still bet she could if she wanted to." He shrugged his shoulders and started up the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower.

Remus sighed and smiled, shaking his head at his friend before following. Sirius could be a real mess.

Weeks flew by. Spring was suddenly upon them as the grounds grew green once again. Though the days were getting nicer, and they wanted to be out by the lake, O.W.L.s were quickly approaching and the studying had begun in earnest. Even James and Sirius opened the cover of a book now and then.

Remus wondered how Lindi was managing such a busy schedule with her classes, Quidditch practice, Defense tutoring sessions with Lily and, to the Marauder's dismay, tutoring sessions in Potions with Severus Snape, of all people. They discovered this new development one evening, purely by accident. Sirius and James had tired of studying and were working on the Marauder's Map when they came across two small dots alone in the Potions Dungeon. When they read the names Lindinara Dellington and Severus Snape along side the dots, James snorted disgustedly.

"How can she stand to be alone with that slimy, rotten piece of rubbish?" hissed James.

"He's probably the best at Potions in our year, other than Lily," Remus said evenly without glancing up from his Transfiguration book.

"No wonder he's been walking around the halls so well chuffed," snarled Sirius, obviously choosing to ignore Remus' comment.

Remus sighed inwardly. Things with Snape and his friends seemed to be getting worse. Neither side was willing to back down, and things were just escalating. He worried that someday their feud would get out of control and someone would end up expelled or seriously injured or both. He only wished he had the nerve to make his friends let it go for once. He could stand up to Adamson; why couldn't he take a stand against James and Sirius?

Finally, it was nearing mid-May and less than three weeks remained until O.W.L.s. Tension was thick enough to cut within the fifth year class. Remus and the others had noticed Lindi making frequent trips to the Quidditch pitch and, since even James had cut back on Quidditch practice, they figured she was flying on her own. It seemed unusual for her to have that kind of spare time and after a while, they asked Lily about it. They assumed she would know since she had spent a good deal of time with Lindi during the past months.

"She likes to fly when she's upset or worried about something; says it helps clear her head," said Lily. "She's flying a _lot_ with O.W.L.s coming up."

"How's her Defense coming?" asked Remus, doing his best to sound nonchalant. They hadn't had a practical class in some time so he had no way of knowing if she had improved. The last time he'd seen her, however, she was still fairly awful.

"Well, she has the theory down cold…knows all the incantations I could think to quiz her on and can tell you the wand movements to go with them. She cast a great _Incarcerous_ on Adamson's chair the other day…did a perfect _Protego_ to block a paperweight I threw at her. She seems to know what to do," Lily shrugged. "I hope so anyway."

Remus hoped so, too, but noticed her trips to the pitch becoming ever more frequent and she seemed to be very distracted whenever he saw her in the halls. Her anxiety seemed to be even more intense than most of the fifth years and that was saying something. Remus himself felt like he might snap at any moment. He really couldn't wait to have O.W.L.s behind him so life could get back to normal.

One particularly nice, sunny day, the Marauders decided to take a much needed break from studying and went down to their usual tree by the lake. There were small clusters of students scattered about over the school grounds. Lily and two of her friends were laying in the sunshine on the grass nearby reading over some notes. Remus could see James' mind churning as he tried to decide what to do to get Evans' attention when Lindi came walking around the edge of a thicket carrying her broom. Her hair was windblown and she was carrying her school robe over her free arm. She had obviously just finished one of her stress relieving flights down at the pitch. She walked by the other students, apparently deep in thought. The boys couldn't help but watch as she passed, mesmerizing them with each sway of her hips.

"Watch this," said Sirius in a hushed voice. "Hey, Dellington!" he called loudly.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Wish I had a swing like that in my backyard...I'd ride it all day long!" Sirius shouted.

As expected, Lindi's mouth fell open and her face reddened. Remus bit the inside of his cheek to stop the smile he was fighting. He knew he shouldn't be so amused, but the look of utter astoundment on her face combined with his own astonishment at Sirius' ribaldry was nearly too much. James and Peter grinned openly as a group of young Slytherins sniggered and Lily's friends giggled. However, Lily looked at Lindi with sympathy, as if willing her to say something back. Lindi's mouth simply opened and closed again with no retort.

"In your dreams, Black!" cried Lily as she got to her feet. "You do realize that all day would be twenty-four _hours_…not the twenty-four _seconds_ you'd last!"

Remus didn't try to hide his grin at that. He had great respect for Lily's cheek and was glad she had come to Lindi's aid.

"Ouch!" cried James with an impressed laugh. "I think Evans wins that point!" He looked at Lily admiringly as she smirked and walked past them to join Lindi.

"Join me in the broom cupboard and we'll see about that, Evans," said Sirius tauntingly, but Lily ignored him. She grabbed Lindi by the arm protectively and headed for the castle.

"Oy…watch it, Padfoot," said James still sniggering. Sirius just waved him off and reclined back on the cool grass lazily. He was well aware of the admiring looks he received from a nearby group of girls, any of whom would obviously be willing to join him in the broom cupboard.

Remus was just thankful Lindi wasn't one of them; even though he realized she probably wouldn't go to the broom cupboard with him, either.

Suddenly, there were only two weeks left before O.W.L.s. James and Sirius had finished studying for the night and Remus found it difficult to concentrate with them talking and cutting up. He decided it would be best to go to the library since he needed to look up long forgotten information about goblin rebellions anyway. He had urged Peter to come with him, but Peter said he was burned out and decided to stay with James and Sirius. When Remus entered the library, he had never seen it more crowded. Fifth and seventh years were packed in around tables and even sitting on the floor between the stacks. Remus' breath caught for a moment when he noticed Lindi sitting at a table amidst a large group of her fellow Ravenclaws, her dark hair falling onto the table around the book she was leaning over. For an instant, he had a strong desire to be in Ravenclaw, too, but realized there wasn't an open seat at her table anyway. So, he searched the stacks for a book on goblin rebellions and grabbed a seat that had just been vacated by a seventh year Hufflepuff and buried himself in Magical History. After what seemed like hours, Remus felt that if he studied another minute, his brain would explode. He laid his head down on his arms and closed his strained eyes for a few minutes.

"I know exactly how you feel," said a soft, velvety voice.

Remus' stomach did a complete flip and he thought he must be dreaming. He looked up eagerly and found...Darlene Wilkins smiling down at him, her blue eyes twinkling flirtatiously, as she flipped a strand of silky black hair over her shoulder. He smiled back through his disappointment. "_Come on Remus, did you really think it was her? She'll hardly even look at you. All this studying is making you barmy._" As Darlene sat down across from him, he looked around quickly and noticed Lindi had already left. He was annoyed with himself for feeling so let down. Remus had never been one for unrealistic expectations and he chastised himself for letting his _daydreaming_ about Lindi get out of control. "_Get a grip, Remus!_" He looked back at Darlene and she smiled again. It was actually a very attractive smile. They talked for a few minutes about exams and how sick they were of the studying and worrying and how they just wanted the blasted O.W.L.s over, one way or another. The next thing he knew, he was walking her out of the library and she had invited him for a visit to the Astronomy Tower _for a little break_. When they got there, it was occupied and they had to settle on a _break_ in the second floor broom cupboard.

A little while later, they stopped at the entrance to the Ravenclaw corridor. Remus felt slightly awkward since he wasn't in the habit of chatting girls up in the library. But, she had actually chatted him up, hadn't she?

"Well…I guess I'll…er…see you later, then," he said.

"I had fun, Remus. I hope we can do it again soon," she said in a breathy voice as she stepped closer to him.

"Right…me, too," he said, not knowing what else to say. He smiled diffidently and then realized it had been a rather nice diversion. She was quite pretty after all, and snogging her had definitely taken his mind off the goblin rebellions for a while.

He said good night and made his way back to Gryffindor Tower. When he arrived at the dorm room, James, Sirius and Peter were lounging on their beds.

"There you are, Moony," called James with a grin. "Got those goblin rebellions sorted?"

Remus got the feeling he was being toyed with.

"Yeah, think I have, thanks," he answered warily.

"Too bad you couldn't find all you needed there in the library," said Peter, ready to burst.

"Yeah," added Sirius. "Have the stacks gotten so full Madam Pince has started filing information in the broom cupboards now?"

"Alright…how'd you know?" Remus asked as he felt the heat rising up through his cheeks.

Peter waved the Marauder's Map and grinned mischievously.

"I thought that was for us to use on others, not each other," said Remus.

"You aren't trying to keep secrets from us are you, Moony?" asked James.

"How could I keep anything from you three bloodhounds? I thought Padfoot was the only _dog_ in the group."

They proceeded to torment him over his _break_ with Darlene until he finally told them to get their own _action_ and walked, red faced, to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Over the next week, Remus seemed to run into Darlene regularly, or more accurately, she ran into him. They made one more trip to the broom cupboard when Remus got the feeling that Darlene thought of them as a couple. He couldn't blame her since he was more than willingly snogging her, but he barely even knew her. They hadn't really talked more than the few minutes that first night in the library. It made him uncomfortable that she was starting to act rather possessive of him, and he decided maybe he might want to cool things down, at least until he got to know her better.

He decided to take her for a walk and talk one afternoon after she practically cornered him in the hallway outside of his last class. To his discomfort, he discovered quickly that they had little in common, aside from a love of reading. Unfortunately, they didn't enjoy reading the same things. She also had what he considered a weak sense of humor. Apparently, she had no appreciation for the pranks or jokes he and his friends had played or told. In fact, she didn't seem to appreciate his friends much at all. That was really all he needed to learn about Darlene to know their _relationship_ was going nowhere. He wondered if he was being stupid. When he considered his _furry little problem_, as James liked to call it, he was sometimes amazed that _any_ girl wanted to date him. Of course, none of them knew about that and from what he gathered about Darlene, he doubted she would feel the same about him if and when she ever did find out. Regardless, he just didn't have feelings for her, which was obvious every time he saw Lindi and his heart skipped a beat. He felt very guilty…and _stupid_ about that, but he couldn't help it and knew he had to end things with Darlene before they got really out of hand.

He tried to let her down as gently as he could. At first, he simply tried avoiding her. It should have been easy enough since everyone was frantically studying and he spent all of his free time in the common room or his dorm room going over five years worth of notes. But, he still had to eat and she always seemed to know when he would be at the Great Hall. She either had a Marauder's Map of her own or she stayed for the entire meal time to see him.

"What am I going to do?" he asked his friends bleakly. "I really don't need this right before sitting the biggest examinations of my life."

"Reminds me of when you went out with Bridget, remember?" asked Peter.

Bridget was a sixth year Hufflepuff he had _dated_ for two weeks the previous fall. Sirius had set them up when he was snogging her roommate. Sirius had described her as very cute and spunky. Remus had agreed she was cute, but after two weeks, he had decided she was a little too _spunky_ for him.

"I think you are confusing spunky with bossy and overbearing, Padfoot," Remus had said.

"Yeah, I think I saw her trying to attach a nose ring while he wasn't looking," James had added with an exaggerated grimace

But at least Remus had _officially_ dated Bridget before she had started keeping tabs on his every movement. At this rate, Darlene would be turning the castle upside down to find him when he went missing over the full moon.

"What is it with you, Moony?" asked James shaking his head sympathetically. "Can't you just go out with a girl without making her want to marry you right away?"

"You must be a great snog," said Peter in an awestruck voice usually reserved for James and Sirius.

Remus looked terribly embarrassed and un-amused.

"Knock it off, alright?" he groaned. "The same thing happens to you lot; only girls expect _you_ to dump them."

"It doesn't happen to me," corrected Peter glumly.

"Just tell her," said Sirius firmly. "I mean, it's not like you've been going steady. You haven't even really asked her out."

"Right! So you've snogged a couple of times. She'll get over it. Girls get over Sirius all the time," added James.

"I don't know about _that_," said Sirius before he received James' elbow in the ribs.

"You're right…I guess I'm being a bit full of myself, aren't I?" said Remus.

But when he broke the news to Darlene, he couldn't help thinking she looked terribly hurt…or was it anger he saw in her face? Whatever it was, she stopped coming around and things got back to normal for Remus just in time for O.W.L.s to get underway.


	12. Girl Talk

**Girl Talk**

**Summary: _O.W.L.s are underway and they don't seem to be going very well for everyone. When the boys get curious about something they overhear, they decide to eavesdrop on a private conversation and get quite an earful._**

Remus sat quietly in the small chamber next to the Great Hall. So far, this had been the longest week and a half he could remember. Mercifully, he had very little recollection of the weeks following his bite. With all of the studying, stress from the brutal examinations, and the rapidly approaching full moon, he was nearing total exhaustion. Thank goodness the full moon wouldn't actually occur until the night after his last test. There were only three more exams to go and he would be finished with the dreaded O.W.L.s.

He felt pretty good about his performance so far; he even thought he might have a chance at a passing score in his Potions lab. He was sure the Defense Against the Dark Arts written exam had gone well this morning, and now he was waiting to be called in for his practical. Sirius would already be back at the dormitory waiting to celebrate his _brilliant_ performance, no doubt.

Remus watched as James gave Peter last minute tips on counter-curses and jinxes. He was relieved to see them occupied since James needed something to keep his attention off of Severus. Snape was glaring at James with _extraordinarily_ intense hostility because of an altercation they had had during the break earlier in the day. It had been _particularly_ nasty, even for those two. James had been in a foul mood ever since. Remus wasn't sure if James was more upset about what had happened with Severus or the fact that Lily Evans had been so disgusted by it. If he had to wager a guess, Remus would have put his money on the Lily factor. Why was James so _thick_ when it came to her? Surely he could see that Lily disapproved of his behavior. Remus felt sure that she disapproved of his own, as well. Why hadn't he put a stop to it? Why was he so…?"

"Haversham, Leanna…Keller, Celia…Lupin, Remus…Pettigrew, Peter. Follow me please," said Professor Flitwick, interrupting Remus thoughts.

Roughly ten minutes later, though it seemed like an hour, Remus walked out into the main hall and waited for Peter. He had been so busy with his own examination, he had no idea how his friend had done. But Remus felt sure his had gone well. He thought he had done everything asked of him satisfactorily even if he hadn't been quite as quick on a couple of hexes as he would have been if he'd felt better. But all in all, he was happy…and now he just had the Transfiguration written and practical exams and he would be finished with O.W.L.s. He sighed thankfully. Shortly, Peter came stumbling out looking dazed and they headed to the Gryffindor common room to meet Sirius and wait for James.

Twenty minutes later, James arrived wearing a confident smirk. "Well, that was fun, but I don't know why they put a bloody boggart on the exam. Is there anything easier than _Riddikulus_?"

"No…well, not unless you're Dellington," said Sirius. "Wonder if she fainted again?"

"I didn't have the boggart, thank goodness," said Remus. "Maybe she didn't either."

"Well, I was talking to some of the seventh years about N.E.W.T.s when she came out and she looked pretty shaken up," said Sirius. "I tried to tell her I'd help her with wand work."

"I don't think the kind of _wand_ work you had in mind would help her with O.W.L.s," said James making a couple of second years sitting at a nearby table titter. "Come on, let's get out of here before we corrupt the children. We don't want _Evans_ to go ballistic." He was obviously still upset by the dispute earlier that day.

They went to their room and took out the Marauder's Map, checking the Great Hall to see if the exam was over so they could go down to dinner. It appeared to be and they started to close the map when Peter reached over and pointed.

"Look…that's Dumbledore's office." Thanks to James and Sirius, they had been able to plot the Headmaster's office accurately. Those two had been there enough to get the dimensions right and everything. "Wonder why Lindi's there?" Peter asked.

"With Professor Flitwick," added Remus sounding more concerned than he would have liked.

"No telling…but we know she didn't destroy the Great Hall during her exam, since you lot went in after her," said Sirius. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked at Remus. "You aren't _worried_ about her are you, Moony?" There was a hint of teasing in his voice.

"What? No…I just wouldn't want it to be anything bad…like a family emergency or something." Remus didn't know why he felt the need to deny his concern; these were his best friends, after all. But he had already embarrassed himself because of Lindi before. They hadn't harassed him _too_ badly over that, but if they realized how he really felt, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Moony worries about everybody, he doesn't even like to see _Snivellus_ get it. Come on, I'm starved," James said as he stuffed his invisibility cloak into his pocket. Remus knew James and Sirius were not planning to study for the Transfiguration exams anymore. Fortunately, they didn't really need to.

After dinner, they took a walk down to the lake before Remus and Peter planned to head back and start studying again. It was such a glorious day, many of the students, particularly fifth and seventh years who were nearing the end of a brutal two weeks of tests, were taking the opportunity to relax for a short while before the sun set. As they approached their favorite spot under the beech tree, Remus noticed Lily Evans and several of her friends clustered at the edge of the lake, just as they had been earlier in the day. James noticed, as well, and was suddenly in a surly mood again. He didn't even seem to feel up to playing with the blasted snitch.

"Don't pout, Prongs," said Sirius. "Gives 'em too much power."

"What are you talking about?" answered James irritably.

"Evans," Sirius said bluntly. "You are letting her get to you, mate. What you need is another girl…and I don't mean a quick snog in the broom cupboard. You need to find someone she could take seriously…make her jealous."

"Very nice, Sirius," said Remus reprovingly. "And does he tell this _other_ girl he is just using her, or does he just dump her when she's of no more use to him?"

"Hey, Moony…you weren't so honorable when you had Wilkins all in a dither after your little visit to the broom cupboard…_twice_," retorted Sirius.

"I wasn't _using_ her," Remus said firmly. "That was a mutual desire to snog…and she's the one who invited me, anyway. That's not the same thing and you…"

"Uh, oh!" said Peter suddenly, interrupting the dispute. "Looks like things didn't go so well for Dellington."

They all looked towards the castle. Coming down the stone steps from the main entrance was Lindi, broom in hand, walking very briskly, her hair flapping out behind her in the breeze. She walked past several students who appeared to speak to her without giving them a sideways glance.

"Looks like she's planning a hard workout at the pitch," said James. "Wonder if she'd like some company? 'Cause that's a girl to make Evans jealous…if there is one."

"Nah!" said Sirius. "You know she likes to fly alone, especially when she's brassed off…and she looks _really_ brassed off. Besides, if she won't go out with me, what chance would you have?" He grinned at his best friend teasingly.

"You wanker!" laughed James. "You'd drop dead if she did, wouldn't you?"

Remus considered the possibility and felt sure _he_ would be the one to drop dead…right after he hexed James into tomorrow. _Of course you would, Remus,_ he thought, knowing he would never do anything of the kind, even if his heart did get broken. He had been miserable enough when Sirius was trying to chat her up and Remus had only just met the girl. At this point, the thought of Lindi with James, or anyone, for that matter, was nearly excruciating. Still, Remus knew he would never hex James for unwittingly asking out the girl of his dreams. Thank goodness James was so in love with Lily he wouldn't be likely to try. James dated a lot of girls, but he tended to steer clear of Lily's friends.

As Lindi started to pass by, they heard a shout from a group of fifth year Hufflepuff boys sitting at the edge of a small thicket.

"Hey, Dellington! Nice dance! Did ya' get extra points for that?"

She stopped in her tracks and shouted back, "_Bugger off_, Darfield!" and she started to turn towards the pitch again.

"No_, really_…I thought Professor Tofty was going to _drop dead_…but he'd a died _happy!_"

Lindi stopped and turned back to the boys, her face drawn anxiously.

"Hey, Lindi, if I get a Slytherin to teach me that, will you dance for _me_? Maybe a _lap dance_ instead of on the table…what do ya' say?" shouted another of the boys.

Remus watched her mouth open and shut several times as she obviously struggled for a response, but found none. She settled for blushing to the color of a beet and turned on her heels and stormed off invoking cheers and laughter from everyone watching.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" said Sirius excitedly.

"Come on…let's go find out," said James standing quickly and heading towards the group of Hufflepuffs.

Before they were all on their feet, they heard another shout.

"Lindi…Hey, Lindi, Wait up!" Lily Evans was getting to her feet at the edge of the lake. Lindi paused just before she started around the edge of the thicket.

"Oh, even better…come on, this could be good," said James mischievously. "We can transform in the woods. No one can see us in there." He threw a puckish grin at his friends as they started for the trees.

"Come on Moony, hurry up before Evans gets there," Sirius said, grabbing Remus by the arm.

"You seem to forget…I can't transform on command," said Remus. "You go and let me know what you hear."

"No way…you wear the cloak, Moony," said James as he patted his robe pocket. Remus grinned and followed his friends into the underbrush.

Lily caught up to Lindi and the two girls began walking quietly in the shadows around the edge of the thicket. Sirius was the first to reach them.

"Oh, whose dog is that?" Lily asked in surprise when Padfoot came lumbering out of the trees towards them.

"I don't know but it's _huge_…and friendly," answered Lindi when Padfoot stuck his nose under her hand and wagged his tail wildly. She reached down and rubbed his head. "I think I've seen it running around before, when I was flying. It must be Hagrid's."

The small distraction was enough to make the girls stop walking and give his friends a chance to get situated within hearing range. This was easy enough for Remus who was hidden under the invisibility cloak; although, he had to go carefully to prevent making too much noise or getting the cloak snagged on a branch. Wormtail hid in the boughs of a small evergreen bush right beside the girls. Prongs, on the other hand, needed a rather large cluster of shrubbery to conceal himself. Fortunately, the stag was virtually silent as he nimbly wove his way around the undergrowth to reach his vantage point. Now, if the girls stayed where they were, the Marauders would be able to hear everything. As Lindi continued to rub Padfoot's head, Remus thought they just might get lucky.

"Alright, what happened, Lindi?" Lily asked gently. There was genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh, nothing much," Lindi feigned indifference as she scratched Padfoot under the chin. "I just got the worst score on an O.W.L. in the entire history of Hogwarts, that's all."

"I don't believe that…you knew it cold yesterday when I quizzed you," said Lily encouragingly.

"Yes, I know the _theory_. I nailed the written exam…I'm pretty sure I got an E or O on that part."

Lily closed her eyes briefly, knowing what was coming next. "The practical?" she asked hesitantly.

Lindi hung her head and groaned.

"Come on…sit down and tell me about it," said Lily kindly. "It can't have been that bad."

Lindi looked at her and rolled her eyes dramatically and forced a laugh. "No…it was _worse_."

The two girls sat down on the grass and Padfoot laid his head in Lindi's lap. She absently scratched behind his ear. Padfoot gave a contented whimper and Remus felt the urge to bung a rock at him, but fought it for the sake of their eavesdropping.

"Alright, so what happened?" asked Lily.

"I just froze…I couldn't do anything they asked me. I'm so sorry, Lily. I completely wasted your time."

"Don't be silly! Tutoring was the best way I've ever tried studying. It really helped _me_," said Lily emphatically. "I'm the one who should apologize if it was really that bad. Maybe you should have let Remus Lupin do it like Professor Adamson suggested."

Remus felt a rush in his stomach at the sound of his name.

"No, it wasn't your fault…You taught me everything they asked for. I just couldn't _do_ it. I wouldn't have done any better if Dumbledore, himself, had taught me," Lindi said despondently.

"Well, I hate to ask, but…what was all that about a dance…and does it have anything to do with what happened to all of Professor Tofty's papers?" Lily asked apprehensively. "He was still straightening them up when I got in for my examination."

"Was he furious?" asked Lindi fearfully. "Not that it matters…he couldn't possibly give me lower marks than I earned."

"Actually, he seemed rather amused." Lily raised her eyebrows in question.

"Well, I guess my lucky knickers were good for _something_," said Lindi ironically.

"I'm afraid to ask what that means."

Lindi grimaced and took a bracing breath. "Just when I thought the torture was over and I could leave…that nightmare-of-a-girl, Felicia Dagget, decided to show off right next to me and cast the _Serpensortia_. The bloody thing practically landed on my head." Lindi said as she shuddered visibly.

"Oh, Lindi!" gasped Lily. "What did you do?"

"I'm not really sure," said Lindi in a dazed tone. "I suppose I just panicked. Next thing I knew, I was standing on top of Professor Tofty's desk and his papers were strewn about everywhere. He's just sitting there staring straight up my robes, with me in nothing but my Quidditch pants, like he's never seen a girl's bum before."

"How on earth could he see up your robes?" cried Lily, clearly torn between feeling sorry for Lindi and finding great humor in the situation.

"I had them hiked up over my knees! I must have done it in order to climb on the table. I don't know! I was _hysterical_!" She threw herself back on the ground and flung her hands over her face. "I just want to DIE!"

Never one to pass up a chance to exploit another's vulnerability, Padfoot raised the hem of her robes with his nose.

"Oy!" yelled Lindi jerking herself back up and swatting him away with her hand. "Bugger off, you randy mutt! A girl isn't even safe with the _dogs_ around here!"

"I think he wants to see your lucky knickers," said Lily as she laughed at the naughty dog. Padfoot walked over to her and proceeded to rest his head on her lap this time. Remus wondered if Prongs might try tossing the dog with his antlers but Lily continued. "So…are they covered in Snitches or something?"

"I wish!" groaned Lindi. Lily gave her a worried look and Lindi continued. "Have you ever worn a Quidditch uniform?" Lily shook her head. "Well, my aunt, Veronica, always got me these big granny pants, which are fine normally…but, they get really bunched up under a pair of Quidditch tights and it's very _distracting_ when I'm trying to fly. When I made the team at Bukalara, I was complaining about it and one of my team-mates brought me back something from a Muggle knickers shop in Sydney. They call it a g-string…"

"Oh, Lindi, I know what a _g-string_ is! My parents are Muggles." Lily's eyes were wide with amusement.

"Really? I didn't realize…do you wear them, then?" Lindi asked curiously.

"No, can't say that I do. They seem rather uncomfortable. Are they?"

"You get used to them and they are much better than a big wad of granny pants." Lily squished up her nose and laughed as Lindi continued. "I normally only wear them under my Quidditch tights but, I thought maybe they'd bring me luck, so I've been wearing them to the examinations. Isn't that foolish?"

"A little," Lily admitted with a grin. "Especially considering you might have been knocked arse over elbows by a hex during the exam."

"I didn't think of that…I'm such an _idiot_!" cried Lindi slapping herself on the forehead.

"No you aren't…we've all been under a lot of pressure. Everybody's been doing crazy things," Lily said soothingly. "So, are you planning to go fly around on a practically _bare bum_ now?" Lily said in a lighter tone.

"Pretty much," said Lindi frankly.

"That's disgusting, Lindi."

"Don't worry, I service my broomstick every night," Lindi said.

"Some nights it gets better service than others, apparently," said Lily provocatively. Both girls began blushing and giggling. Remus almost laughed out loud at their rather crude conversation and the fact that they seemed to have embarrassed _themselves_. He thought only boys talked like that. It must have shocked his friends, as well, since a sudden snorting sound startled the girls and they looked over and spotted Prongs standing at the edge of the forest.

"Oh!" whispered Lily. "Look at that…he's gorgeous."

Padfoot raised his head off of Lily's knee and made a low growl. Lily grabbed him, holding tightly to his coat. "No, no…don't run him off," she said quietly.

"Actually, I think they are friends," said Lindi in a hushed voice.

Prongs moved closer to hear them. Remus and Wormtail did the same but were hidden from view.

"A deer and a dog are unlikely friends. I'd think they would be nearer to natural enemies," said Lily, still holding tightly to Padfoot's hair as she watched the stag draw cautiously nearer.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen them together in the woods and they looked like they were playing," said Lindi. "He doesn't seem to be afraid."

"What were you doing in the woods?"

"I wasn't in the woods; I was at the top of the pitch reading," said Lindi. "I could see down into the trees from there."

"How could a dog and a deer get to be friends?" asked Lily in amazement.

"I figure they're one of Hagrid's bizarre experiments. You know how he is," said Lindi making a face. Padfoot cocked his head at her questioningly.

"What have you got against Hagrid?" snapped Lily defensively.

"Nothing!" demanded Lindi. "I like him very much, but he _is_ a bit of a nutter when it comes to creatures, don't you think?"

"Well…yeah…you have a point. He thinks all creatures are wonderful," admitted Lily. "He probably _would_ try to make friends out of natural enemies. It looks like he's succeeded. Maybe he'll try to mate them next and develop some sort of new breed. That would be strange, wouldn't it?"

Padfoot gave her a shrill bark and the girls jumped in surprise and laughed. James had the wit to act startled as well, before settling back down and nibbling on the leaves of a shrub. Remus struggled against the laughter building in his throat; he knew it would be agonizing for Sirius to hear someone suggest he would _mate_ with Prongs even if they did think he was a dog.

"Yes, very strange," agreed Lindi. "Especially since they're both _obviously_ male."

"Oh…right," laughed Lily.

"Strange and kinky to boot…that naughty Hagrid," said Lindi as her cheeks reddened and both girls giggled again.

Once more, Remus was amused at the girls' conversation. It was so unusual to think of them talking about things like this.

"And I thought you were such a prim and proper girl," said Lily raising her eyebrows. "If Sirius Black could hear you and knew you were walking around in a _g-string_, he'd drag you to that broom cupboard of his by your ankles." Padfoot lifted his head.

"Good thing I didn't run into him leaving Dumbledore's office then, or I probably would have let him," said Lindi in exasperation. Padfoot cocked his head and whined. "Anything to take my mind off what they're making me do," she added bleakly.

"You had to go to Dumbledore's office?" asked Lily.

"Yes…I thought for sure I was being expelled," said Lindi. "I figured they didn't want to waste anymore time on a total dim wit."

"Oh! Stop it, Lindi," ordered Lily. "You are one of the smartest Ravenclaws in school and that's saying something. Besides, they aren't going to expel you over one subject."

"Apparently not; I told them I'd just drop Defense and concentrate on the others, but Professor Dumbledore said he couldn't let me do that. Said he couldn't send me out into the world without at least a _'rudimentary knowledge of Defensive Arts'_ and still keep a clear conscience. Plus, I'd never get to be a healer without it." Lindi sighed heavily. "So, he and Flitwick said, in addition to private tutoring, I have to retake it with the fifth years next year and…I need more _intensive_ practice." Lindi screwed up her face in a painful grimace. "He's making me join the _Dueling Club_, Lily!" she whined, nearly hysterical at the thought.

Lily bit her lip to try to stifle a smile but hardly succeeded.

"That's not so bad, Lindi," she said reassuringly. "I'm in Dueling Club and it's really a lot of fun."

"Right…if you have a _rudimentary_ ability to hex people. They're going to destroy me…every week!" Lindi groaned.

"No they won't…well, not everyone," Lily pursed her lips, clearly thinking of some of the members of the club. "We'll just make sure you get put on a good team with me. Hopefully we'll get a good team leader. I bet Remus Lupin will be one." Then Lily screwed up her face. "Of course, one or both of those two _horrid_ friends of his might."

"Who, Potter and Black?" asked Lindi. "Do you really not like them?"

"They are _infuriating_!" snapped Lily. "You should have seen them just this afternoon, tormenting Severus Snape. It was awful! They really…Ohhhhh…that _Potter_…" she shook her head angrily.

Remus looked over at Prongs. He wondered how he must be feeling right now. It couldn't be easy listening to the girl of your dreams criticize you like that; especially after she had said worse to his face earlier that very day. Remus got the feeling James' sometimes inflated ego didn't allow him to accept that the criticism might actually be valid. James was more likely to think there was something wrong with the critic; even if the critic was Lily Evans. When James had asked "_What is it with her?_" after their near duel over Severus that day, Remus had wanted to shout at him. Of course, he hadn't…

"Well," Lily continued after a deep breath. "You should know what they're like as well as anyone, the way Black harasses you. You must hate them."

"Well, no…actually" Lindi seemed surprised. "I think they're really kind of funny."

"The way Black embarrasses you all the time and Potter chortling over it?" Lily seemed outraged.

"I don't think he does it to be cruel, Lily. It's really rather flattering in a _twisted_ sort of way. I just wish I was more like you and had a witty comeback for him instead of standing there like a scared little dolt. You have to admit, some of the things they come up with are hilarious?"

Remus could see Lily struggling for an argument.

"Well, they might be funny _sometimes_ but they can also be obnoxious _prats_. Hopefully they won't be in charge of the dueling teams. That would just be something else to go to their big heads." Lily took another calming breath. "I'm pretty sure Professor Adamson will make Remus a team leader, though. He'd be really good."

"Wonderful…he thinks I'm an _idiot_…And a _tart_, to boot; it's no wonder he hardly even looks at me," said Lindi.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily sounding befuddled.

Remus wanted to know the answer to that, as well.

"The only time he ever sees me is when I'm making a complete clot of myself in Defense or when he's on prefect patrol and comes across some bloke trying to chat me up," said Lindi. "Usually it's his chum, Black."

Remus could hardly believe it. Was that why she wouldn't look him in the eye? Because of what she thought _he_ thought of her? All this time, he had been convinced it was because she thought _he_ was an interfering berk?

"Then he knows you aren't a tart if you wont snog Black," said Lily matter-of-factly. "Sirius might be an arrogant cad, but he wouldn't lie to his friends about his conquests. He doesn't really _need_ to, does he?"

At this point, Padfoot rose up and made a strange snorting sound. Remus wasn't sure if it was indignation or pride. Lindi agreed that there would be no need for Sirius Black to make up stories of conquest and it would be highly unlikely for anyone to consider her a tart if she had passed up the chance to snog _him_.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, why won't you go out with him? Most girls would bite your arm off for the chance." Padfoot's ears perked up and he actually looked like he was smiling. "He may be an arrogant git…but he is a _handsome_ one," Lily added somewhat grudgingly.

"Yes, he is rather gorgeous. But, I just imagine my first being someone who actually at least _thinks_ he cares about me and not just what's under my clothes," said Lindi frankly.

Lily looked at her with eyebrows raised and smiled. "Crikey, Lindi!" she cried. "I just meant _snogging_, not shagging him!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" cried Lindi in response, her face flushing crimson.

Lily looked stunned as she opened her mouth to say something, closed it again and blinked. "You've never snogged anyone?" she finally asked incredulously.

"I know…I'm a _freak_!" moaned Lindi shrilly.

"But you must have had a boyfriend back in Australia?" asked a very stunned Lily. Remus knew how she felt and from the vacant looks on his Animagi friends' faces, none of them could believe their ears either.

"Not really," said Lindi, clearly embarrassed by the admission. "Bukalara was an all witch academy…I think that's why Aunt Ronnie was so keen for me to go there instead of Hogwarts. I didn't really meet that many boys. There was this one I was completely infatuated with for years who lived down the lane, but he was a good bit older than me. I'm pretty sure Aunt Ronnie threatened him with bodily harm if he laid a hand on me after I finally…er..._blossomed_." Lindi sighed.

Remus felt a flicker of jealousy towards this lucky boy. He was pretty sure that, if given the chance, he would gladly risk bodily harm for a chance to lay just one _finger_ on her.

"The last time I saw him was last summer and he almost kissed me behind the potting shed," Lindi said and she bit her lip and grinned guiltily. "But Aunt Ronnie walked up…You should have seen the look on his face. He looked like he thought she was going to turn him into a slug and squash him. I was so disappointed, but _sooo_ relieved at the same time. I nearly hyperventilated before she rescued me. I mean…I still panic if a boy comes near me." She snorted in disgust at herself. "They scare me to death."

"I can not believe _you_, of all people…have never kissed someone. No offense, Lindi, but…well…it's just so…_surprising_." Lily was looking at her in wonder.

"I know… I'm sure I'm the only fifth year alive who hasn't," Lindi said. "There probably aren't many fourth years, either."

Remus smiled to himself at her modesty. She was obviously unaware that it was not her _age_ that made this all so unbelievable.

"Sometimes I think I should just grab the nearest boy and be done with it," Lindi went on. "I really planned to with Sirius but…the thought of being just another of his conquests wasn't what I had in mind. Now, I just couldn't bear it if he discovered I don't even know how. Can you imagine what he'd do if he found out?" She buried her face in her hands and groaned in embarrassment.

"He'd just offer to give you _loads_ of lessons, I'm sure," said Lily and she smiled sweetly when Lindi looked up. "Lindi, you just need to find a _nice_ boy. When you really _like_ someone, it comes naturally."

"That's the problem, isn't it? The _nice_ ones are either too young, too old, or too…well, I hate to sound shallow but…I can't help it if I'm not attracted to them. I know there are more important things than looks and he doesn't have to be gorgeous or anything but…" Lindi sighed heavily. "Why are the good-looking ones always such cads?"

"Because they _know_ they are good-looking. But there have to be some nice boys you'd find attractive." Lily pursed her lips and thought. Suddenly, she slapped her forehead and grinned. "Remus!" she nearly shouted.

Remus almost fell out from under the invisibility cloak in his astonishment. Padfoot and Prongs jerked their heads towards one another and made startled noises. Lily put her hand to her mouth in a hushing movement.

"Sorry, but I can't believe I didn't think of him right away. He's _perfect_ for you!" said Lily.

"You're kidding, right?" Lindi looked very skeptical. Remus' pounding heart sank considerably.

"No, think about it." Lily held up her hand and started counting off on her fingers. "First, he's really _very_ nice. Remember how he took up for you in Adamson's class that day?"

"Yes, I remember… though I've tried to block that day from memory."

Lily made a tisking sound. "Now I think about it, you weren't very nice to him." Lindi started to argue but Lily cut her off with a pointed look and raised another finger. "Second, he's good-looking, don't you think?" she asked, smiling quizzically.

Lindi's cheeks flushed. "Well…yeah…I guess...I mean….his eyes are…" she hesitated, smiling sheepishly.

"_Dreamy_?" suggested Lily.

Lindi chuckled in embarrassment and nodded. "Yeah…they're so intense. It's like he's looking right through you," she said quietly. Lily grinned hugely.

Remus' heart rose again to the point he thought it might jump right through his throat and out his mouth. He remembered that first encounter outside Dumbledore's office when their eyes had met and she had looked away blushing.

"They're really lovely, especially when he doesn't look like he's been up all week studying," Lindi continued.

"Exactly!" Lily held up a third finger. "He takes school very seriously…just like you… Although, I don't think he stays up _just_ to study."

Remus held his breath, which wasn't easy to do at this point. Did Lily suspect?

"Remus is a nice guy, but I think he can get up to his fair share of mischief with those friends of his." Lily held up a fourth finger. "Which brings me to the best part…if you were dating _Remus_, Black would leave you alone! Sirius might be a cad, but he'd never try to chat up one of his best mates' girl."

Lily grinned triumphantly and Remus nearly laughed aloud when Padfoot took a huge swipe of her face with his long wet tongue. She screamed and Padfoot snorted satisfactorily. There was no way Sirius would have let that go. Lindi laughed and then looked more serious.

"Perfect," she said coolly. "Trade one hound for another. I'd be better off with that dog."

"What are you talking about?" asked Lily looking genuinely confused. "Remus isn't like that; he's really nice."

"Well, not according to Darlene Wilkins," said Lindi.

Remus felt his stomach turn. _I knew that would come back to haunt me. Crap!_

"She thought he really liked her and then…" Lindi snapped her fingers in the air, "he'd had all he wanted. And that Hufflepuff, Bridget…I don't know her last name…she was telling Darlene he did the same thing to her, only they made it _two whole weeks_," she said sarcastically.

Remus felt like he'd been hit in the stomach. She thought he was a _hound_ like Sirius? Sirius snogged more girls in a _month_ than he had in his _whole life_.

"But that doesn't mean anything," said Lily defensively. "Bridget is a bit of a controlling nag. He just didn't want to get married right away."

"Right, he just wanted a bit of snogging," said Lindi stiffly. "Have you ever known him to date a girl more than a month?" Lily looked thoughtful for a moment and Lindi continued, "I didn't think so. I'm not looking to get married either, Lily, but I don't want to be snogging a different guy every weekend."

Remus could hardly believe his ears. He just couldn't imagine anyone comparing him to Sirius when it came to dating. So he had never dated anyone longer than a month; he just had never found a girl he thought would understand about his monthly…affliction. Anyone he was with long enough would surely find out and, he had to admit, he'd never liked a girl enough to risk it.

"But, Remus isn't like that," insisted Lily.

"If he's so perfect, why don't you go out with him?" Lindi asked pointedly.

"Remus and I have known each other so long; if there was any romantic attraction we'd have felt it by now. But, I do really like him. I think you would too, if you gave him a chance."

The girls looked at each other for a moment. Remus held his breath once more. He looked around at his friends who were also waiting. He could barely see Wormtail beneath the dark leaves and he realized the shadows were quite long and there was a bright orange glow on the top of the Quidditch pitch, but the rest was shaded. The sun was nearly down. Finally Lindi shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't matter…after he sees me in Dueling Club, he won't want anything to do with me, anyway. He'd be as frightened of snogging me as I would him."

"I don't understand," said Lily, her brow furrowed in confusion. Neither did Remus. "Even though he isn't the randy cad you seem to think he is, I'm certain Remus wouldn't be _afraid_ of snogging anyone."

Lindi chuckled. "No, he'd just be afraid I was contagious and he wouldn't want to catch my _dim wit_ germs and forget all he knows about Defense Against the Dark Arts." She looked up at the sky and saw the sun had nearly set. "Well, now you've made me miss my flight," she said lightly. "It'll be dark soon and I don't want to be out past curfew; especially after the way _this_ day has gone."

"Good! I didn't want you to break your neck. You really scare me on that broom sometimes," Lily said with concern. "You just get so out of control."

"Lily, when I'm on my broom…it's the only time I ever feel completely _in_ control." Lindi got to her feet and helped Lily up as well. She bent to pick up her broomstick and Padfoot, seeing another opening, leapt forward and grabbed the hem of her robes trying to flip them up as he stood on his hind legs. Lindi shrieked and jerked around swinging her broomstick at the big dog.

"Get _off_ me, you _mangy mongrel_! Go on! Blimey!" She finally got free and swung the broom at him again to shoo him away. "You bloody _beast_! Go get your friend over there! I'm not into that kind of thing!"

Lily was laughing hysterically. "I've never seen a dog act like that before. Usually they just try to bonk your leg when they feel randy." Lindi started to laugh, too, and they headed towards the castle. "Well, at least you're laughing," Lily said.

"Yes, I suppose I'll survive even today's embarrassment. Thanks for all the distraction. I owe you," Lindi replied sincerely.

The girls passed around the edge of the trees and were out of view. Remus watched as Padfoot and Prongs sprang into the undergrowth and rendezvoused with Wormtail. In an instant, the three friends were laughing hysterically, too.

"Bloody hell, Sirius! What were you doing?" asked Peter breathlessly.

"I wanted to see what the deal was with the _g-string_!" Sirius said as a wicked grin crept onto his face. "I figure that might be my last chance since our _really nice_ friend, Remus, is going to be dating her soon. Come on out, Moony!"

Remus suddenly appeared next to them, making Peter jump. He felt a bit dazed but also very pleased. Sirius punched him in the arm affectionately.

"You jammy beggar," said Sirius.

James put his arm around Remus shoulder and shook him. He looked at Sirius and said in a high pitched voice, "Our little Moony…and Delectable Dellington…I'm just so proud!" and he pretended to wipe a tear from his cheek.

Remus rolled his eyes and shook James off. "Knock it off, Prongs," he said though he couldn't stop smiling. "You heard her; she thinks I'm as bad as Sirius…and _not_ as good-looking, so don't start sending out invitations just yet."

"Well, he doesn't have Evans on his side," said James. "She's a woman on a mission, mate, and she can be very determined."

"That's too true, Remus," said Peter encouragingly. "Just mesmerize Lindi with those _dreamy_ eyes of yours."

"Yep, I'd keep some breath mints in my pocket if I were you, Moony," Sirius added with a wink.

Remus blushed violently and shook his head. He was afraid to even consider the possibility for fear of the disappointment…but he couldn't stop the smile splitting his face.


	13. Ravenclaw vs Slytherin

**Ravenclaw-vs-Slytherin**

**Summary: _O.W.L.s come to a close and it's time for a bit of recreation before the end of fifth year. Will Lily make any progress on her mission before they all board the train for home?_**

_A/N: AGLET- the plastic thing on the end of shoe laces. (In case you didn't know…Just a little trivia.)_

After the Marauders returned to the castle, Remus and Peter went to their dorm room to study while James and Sirius played Exploding Snap in the common room with some sixth years. Remus might as well have stayed to play considering his complete lack of focus on all things Transfiguration. How on earth was he supposed to concentrate after hearing Lindi and Lily's conversation? He settled for quizzing Peter and hoped that he would be able to apply himself properly during the actual exams the next day. Between the interesting developments concerning Lindi and the looming full moon, it would take all of Remus' energy to get through them. He finally decided the best thing to do was go to bed early and try to be fairly well rested. He just hoped he could get to sleep. As was to be expected, he needn't have worried. On the night before the full moon, after an excruciatingly long and stressful two weeks, even the possibility of snogging Lindinara Dellington, painfully remote as it was, could not have kept him awake for long.

Remus awoke the next morning grudgingly, until he remembered the things he had overheard the day before. It might not have kept him awake, but the thought of seeing Lindi in the Great Hall for breakfast was at least a pleasant incentive to drag himself out of bed. Otherwise, the only thing he had to get up for was the Transfiguration O.W.L. _That_ wasn't nearly as pleasant.

Unfortunately, Lindi was not in the Great Hall when Remus and his friends arrived. This wasn't a big surprise considering the harassment she had received after her…_performance_…the previous day. No doubt she had chosen to lie low for a while. Remus felt a jolt of disappointment, but knew he would be able to see her at the examinations. Nothing short of extreme illness or death could get her out of those; he should know, since he felt pretty ill at the moment. Besides, it wasn't like he expected her to run up and declare her newly discovered undying love for him. Not to mention, Lindi would probably take one look at his pallid face and the circles under his eyes and decide he had been up all week studying. Still, Remus was anxious to see her reaction to him after having Lily point out that he was _perfect_ for her. He was eager for any small sign that would indicate how truly delusional he was if he thought there was a chance Lindinara Dellington might actually go out with _him_. He needed something to stop him getting his hopes up even further, before he _really_ got his heart broken. Lindi go out with _him_? Just _thinking_ about it, he new he must be going mad.

The Transfiguration O.W.L. was over in a blur. It had been very intense and Remus had barely had a chance to take a peek at Lindi, much less figure out a way to run into her. But he was cautiously optimistic that he had passed the examinations and even hopeful that he had attained an E. He was certain there was no way he had gotten an O. Not on the practical, at least. For a moment, he had thought he successfully transfigured his trainer into a rat, until he noticed the rodent's tail had an aglet. He was doubtful his examiner would miss that. Of course, it wasn't nearly as obvious as Celia Keller's, which had long ears that were laced together and tied in a bow or Mundungus Fletcher's, which just looked like a furry trainer with whiskers and a twitchy nose. Regardless, O.W.L.s were a thing of the past! _Finally!_ Now, Remus wanted nothing more than a long warm shower and the feel of his cool smooth sheets draped softly over him as he drifted off into a two-day sleep. Maybe he could even manage a dream about Lindi. Unfortunately, the moon would not allow that tonight.

"Last full moon of term, ey, mates?" Sirius said, pulling the Marauder's Map out of his top drawer as they lounged in their room following the examination. "So, what shall we do to celebrate?"

"I love the way my transformations seem like a celebration to you," Remus said wearily.

"Poor Moony," said James, "and you have more to celebrate than any of us."

Remus rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance but secretly enjoying the ribbing he had been getting from his friends since the Transfiguration written exam that morning. They were convinced Lindi had blushed when she looked his way during a conversation with Lily. In his current weakened state, Remus couldn't be sure, but if it was true, that was a pretty good sign…wasn't it?

"Not only have we gotten through our O.W.L.s…" announced James officially.

"With great ease," added Sirius.

"Speak for yourself," Peter moaned.

"BUT!" continued James. "Moony has the very pleasant prospect of the ultimate success…well, maybe not the _ultimate_ success…but, _some_ success in the broom cupboard with Delectable Dellington to look forward to come next term. Unless you do something really stupid, I give it two weeks before Evans has the two of you snogging your heads off." He smiled at Remus cheekily.

"And that's gotta be worth celebrating," said Sirius as he sat down on the end of his bed spreading the map out before him. Remus was afraid to even hope they were right.

They spent the next hour huddled together planning the weekend's escapades before heading down to dinner. Remus chose a seat facing the Ravenclaw table so that he could discretely look for Lindi. He wasn't surprised by her absence again, and when he saw Leanna Haversham carrying out napkins full of food, he new Lindi wouldn't be coming down. Then, he wished he had sat on the other side of the table when he noticed Darlene looking at him. She didn't seem to have gotten any happier about them not dating. Something about the look her friend, Constance, threw him gave him a nagging, sinking feeling, but he couldn't quite say why. He was simply too tired and woozy to think.

The full moon came and went. Remus spent the following morning under the care of Madam Pomfrey as always. He ached from the transformation, but the tonic the nurse gave him made that just tolerable. He was less injured than usual, so he knew the Marauders had had a relatively uneventful night. Remus was thankful for that, though he knew Padfoot and Prongs were probably disappointed. At least if he ran into someone, like Lindi for instance, he wouldn't have to explain that he had tripped and fallen into one of Professor Bottanie's beds of fanged geraniums…

Remus couldn't stop thinking about Lindi. He had found her incredibly beautiful when she first turned to him that night in front of Dumbledore's office. He had even allowed himself a fantasy or two about her in that broom cupboard. But even Sirius had been unsuccessful with her, and Remus had never given it _real _consideration.

_She's the best looking girl in school!_ he thought. _Do you really think you have a chance with her? She thinks you are a womanizing cad, which is why she won't go out with Sirius, as good-looking as he is. Not to mention what she doesn't know…That you're here, recovering from turning into a…raging monster. Talk about Beauty and the Beast. Get a grip, Remus!_

His thoughts were mercifully interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Well, Remus," she said brightly, "I think you can go, if you feel rested enough."

"Yes. I feel pretty good, considering."

"Right, well, I guess this is it for the year. I do hope you manage as well at home this summer. I can't get over how much better you've been this term." The nurse looked at him quizzically, but said nothing. Remus was thankful for that. He really didn't want to discuss his raging hormones at the moment.

He thought about the summer alone in the small cage in his parent's cellar. The wolf was not going to like being lonely again, much less locked up. He hoped his mother and Madam Pomfrey didn't correspond over the break as it would be suspicious when he started chewing himself up again.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. See you later," said Remus quietly.

"If your mother needs anything, send an owl." She smiled warmly and watched him as he walked stiffly towards the door and left the ward.

The next few days passed quickly. After the strain of O.W.L.s, the fifth years were enjoying their free time before term ended. It was wonderful to have absolutely nothing that_ needed_ to be done and the fifth and seventh years seemed content to do just that…nothing. The only thing that seemed to interest anyone was the final Quidditch match of the year on Saturday: Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. Gryffindor was particularly nervous about the match because their chance at the Quidditch Cup rode on Ravenclaw defeating Slytherin by at least ninety points. Ravenclaw was out of the running unless they managed to win by an unrealistic spread, but they could keep Slytherin from winning the prize, yet again.

Lindi continued to maintain her very low profile, showing up for meals and then disappearing again. _Of course, if the stupid prats who kept asking her to dance for them would stop, she might not feel the need to hide,_ Remus thought irritably. Finally, Saturday morning broke, mild and calm.

"This is perfect Quidditch weather," said James as they finished breakfast. "Just enough high cloud cover to cut down on glare. Wish we were playing. Let's go down early to get good seats and watch warm ups."

As the Marauders entered the pitch, they heard a male voice from around the corner; it was the Ravenclaw Captain, Jeffrey Daniels.

"Just don't kill yourself alright, Lindi? We may not have a chance at the cup, but I can't stand the thought of Slytherin winning it again. Dagget and Rosier are already unbearable…so's your chum, Snape. So take it easy and just concentrate on the bloody Snitch, alright? And do _try_ to be careful, even though I know that goes against your flying nature."

"Alright, already. Don't worry. I'll be a good girl, _Daddy_," she said facetiously and walked out to the field.

Daniels stood and watched her as the four Gryffindors came up from behind, flanking him. He turned to them and smirked.

"One of these days, I'm gonna make her think _Daddy_!" he said lustfully.

"In your dreams, Daniels," said Sirius.

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Black," he snarled.

"Touché," said Sirius gallantly. "It'll take a better man than either of us, I'm afraid." He cast Remus a significant glance.

"Speak for yourself! After O.W.L. results come in and she realizes I'll be going to any healer training program I want, she'll realize I'm quite the catch. Especially since she wants to be a healer, too," said Daniels haughtily. "So, you might as well bugger off!" He strode off in the direction of the locker rooms to change into his team robes.

"Arrogant git!" muttered James. "Come on, we're missing the show."

By the time they climbed into the Gryffindor stands, Lily and two of her friends were already seated on the front row. James smiled and motioned for the others to follow him as he took the seats directly behind her.

"Alright, Evans?" he said cheerfully.

She turned and looked at him dismally. "Hello, Potter." Then her expression lightened when she saw Remus behind him. "Hiya, Remus. Come to cheer on Ravenclaw, have you?"

Remus was a little taken aback at her abrupt change in demeanor, but recovered quickly at the encouraging gazes he was receiving from his friends.

"Yes. I don't want to see Slytherin win the cup again. With the extra points, we might actually pull out the House Cup as well," he said.

"Right," Lily nodded and turned back to the field where Lindi was landing to go change into her team robes. Lily turned back to Remus. "Ravenclaw should win. Lindi Dellington is a brilliant Seeker, don't you think?"

James, Sirius, and Peter all looked away quickly as they tried not to snicker.

"Yes, she is. I've never seen anyone who could handle a broom _better_," answered Remus pointedly.

"Next to _me_, you mean!" quipped James.

"Get over yourself, Potter," snapped Lily. "Remus and I are talking about Lindi Dellington."

"Sorry, Evans, didn't realize you were such a big fan."

"Well, I am. She happens to be a friend of mine and she is a smashing flyer. At least _Remus_ can see that."

"Well, I can see that, too," James said heatedly. "Actually, her flying isn't _all_ that's smashing about her!"

"Hey, James, did you remember to bring your omnioculars?" asked Remus in an attempt to change the subject, before James said something he would _really_ regret. James' squabbles with Lily were getting more heated by the day. Remus figured it wouldn't be long before they either hexed each other to death or were snogging _their_ heads off in that broom cupboard. He had a pleasant image of him and Lindi double dating with them.

The stands were filled to capacity and the match got underway. As much as they were enjoying it, most of the Gryffindors were anxious for Ravenclaw to finish it quickly. Lindi circled the field above the stands shadowed by the Slytherin Seeker, Eric Grayson. Remus might have been imagining it but Grayson seemed to be watching Lindi more than looking for the Snitch. He really didn't blame him. She did look absolutely smashing in those Quidditch tights. Remus felt his friends looking at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius lean over and whisper to James and the two sniggered.

"Picturing her lucky knickers, Moony?" whispered Sirius.

Remus felt his cheeks burning but grinned and unabashedly continued watching her. He could tell she was starting to tire of Grayson following her and James predicted she would soon try to shake him off. He was right. Lindi started a dive towards the ground which Grayson followed. She pulled out of the dive very close to the ground and turned back so hard Grayson almost collided with her. Lindi flipped upside down and shot underneath him to avoid the collision. There was a collective gasp from the stands and Grayson was so startled, he almost fell off his broom. Remus saw Lindi mouth something to him and then she sped to their end of the pitch where Daniels met up with her long enough to commence a tirade. He shouted at her loudly enough for those in the front rows to hear.

"Bloody hell, Lindi! ...trying to get yourself _killed?_ Just find the bloody Snitch…"

She looked like she was going to respond, but her face broke into a grin.

"She's spotted it," James cried, and they looked in the direction of her gaze. Her eyes were looking up but she made another dive.

"She's going to fake Grayson out! It must be closer to him," James said excitedly. He was on the edge of his seat and the anxiety showed on his face. Slytherin was up seventy to ten. If they scored again before Lindi caught the Snitch, Gryffindor wouldn't win the cup. "Come on, Dellington!" James begged.

"It's straight over Grayson's head," gasped Peter who was holding the omnioculars.

Grayson saw Lindi flying towards him and looked behind himself for the Snitch. As soon as he had turned away, she pulled up hard and flew straight into the air, higher and higher. As she drew within reach, the Snitch flitted a few feet behind her and she had to stretch back off of her broom to reach it. Suddenly, Lindi was falling backwards through the sky in a graceful but horrifying back dive, her broom clutched between her knees as she stretched her hands out over her head, still reaching for the Snitch. Remus watched, frozen to the sight, unable to turn away from the probable impact. He wanted to close his eyes as the space between her and the Earth grew smaller, but he couldn't. Then, as though she were simply out for a relaxing flight, Lindi flipped out of the dive and did a giant loop before settling gently on the ground. Another collective gasp from the crowd and Remus breathed again.

"Now she's just showing off," said James, though he looked terribly relieved.

Daniels flew over to Lindi, looking rather angry as if he was about to start shouting again, when she raised the Snitch to his face. The crowd cheered wildly. In their horror, no one seemed to have noticed her catch the blasted thing. Remus had certainly missed that part.

As his breathing returned to normal, Remus was aware of the Gryffindor Captain, Michaelson, making his way through the stands towards James.

"It's ours, Potter! The cup is ours!" he shouted as they embraced in sportsmanly enthusiasm. "Thank you, Ravenclaw!"

"You mean, thank you, Dellington!" James said, grinning widely.

"Right! Have you ever seen a girl fly like that? She's almost as reckless as Dangerous Dai!" Michaelson said with awe. "I think I'm in love with that girl!"

"No joke!" said James when he obviously became aware of Lily watching them. "Of course, I'm not _in love_ with her…but she's a brilliant flier."

Lily smirked. "Lucky for you, since you aren't her type."

"Oh, really? And what would her _type_ be?" asked Sirius.

Remus was sure none of his friends had missed Lily's very subtle glance his way. _He _certainly hadn't.

"Let's just say Lindi wants a man who is responsible and _civilized_; not some obnoxious _prat_ who goes around hexing people for the fun of it," said Lily.

"Ouch, Potter!" said Michaelson, snorting. "You need to work on that, because I have an idea for producing an unbeatable Quidditch team for us to manage someday."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" asked James a little irritably.

"We breed you with Dellington! The offspring could probably fly without a broom."

Lily grimaced. "Ughh, Michaelson, you are a pig, you know that?"

"You aren't jealous, are you, Evans?" James asked hopefully.

"You wish!" she hissed.

"Yeah, I do. I think I've made that pretty clear, haven't I, mates?" he asked, looking expectantly at his friends. They all nodded supportively.

"See, Michaelson? I can't do it…my heart belongs to Evans here," said James. Lily rolled her eyes and made a gagging noise.

"Well, I don't need your heart, Potter. Just your wa…"

"Alright! You lot are disgusting!" broke in Lily.

Michaelson laughed and slapped James on the back. "Well, if things don't work out with Evans, let me know." He winked at Lily and started to climb up the stands. "See you at the party later, Potter?"

"Wouldn't miss it," James answered.

He turned back to Lily and smiled. "Want to go to the party with me, Evans?"

She gave him a look of utter bewilderment and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You—are—out—of—your—mind."

"For you, Evans," he said. For a brief instant, her mouth twitched before she turned to her friends.

"Let's get out of here," she said, sounding slightly amused and they climbed the stands and headed down the stairs out of the pitch.

The four Marauders were the last to leave the stands. The celebration on the field had broken up and people were streaming back to the castle. As they headed down the stairs, Remus spotted the blue robes of the Ravenclaw team surrounded by a large crowd.

"At least Lindi's ending the year on a positive note," said Remus.

"What? Afraid she might decide not to come back?" asked Sirius. "Don't worry, Moony, you'll get your chance."

Remus suddenly looked somber. "As if I really have a chance. . . I think you can stop teasing me now. It was fun for a while but…" He smiled wanly and waved the rest of his thought off. He couldn't help thinking of all the guys who wanted to date her: Daniels, Michaelson, Sirius and just about every other guy he knew, except maybe James.

"Don't give up there, Moony. I'm telling you, Evans is on a mission. Did you hear her…She's hardly even _trying _to be discrete about it?" said James.

"No kidding," agreed Sirius. "She's already planning the honeymoon, mate!"

Remus shook his head but smiled.

"I hope she plans around the lunar cycle," said Peter. "That would be a real drag if your wedding night fell on the full moon."

"_Major_ drag!" James and Sirius agreed.

"Because, we already know she isn't into anything _kinky_ like that!" added Sirius.

"Thank you, Padfoot," said Remus sarcastically, but feeling much better.

"No problem, Moony."

The next evening was the end-of-term feast. They would all be departing for home the following morning. After great celebration upon the announcement that Gryffindor had taken the House Cup from Slytherin, the Marauders sat huddled together in determined conversation talking of the summer break and Remus' transformations.

"You couldn't get me out of the cellar without Mum and Dad knowing it and I don't want to be loose in the house with them when I'm transformed…even with you there. It's too risky. I mean, that would be a brilliant start of term ice breaker, wouldn't it? 'What did you do over the summer, Remus?' 'Oh…not much…just ate my mum and dad…'" Remus sighed. "No…I don't see anyway to do it."

"Maybe we can convince them to let you come back here to transform. You know, tell them Dumbledore said it was alright. We can all stay at the Shack to take care of you afterwards," suggested James.

"Right, just tell your mum the wolf is used to it and likes having more room," offered Sirius. "She'll go for it if it means you won't tear yourself up as much."

"How do I explain when she tells Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey thanks for taking care of me and they don't know what she's talking about?" asked Remus shaking his head in discouragement. "I'll just have to do it the way I've done most of my life."

"How do you think the wolf is going to react being locked up in a little cage again after roaming free for all these months? Remus, I don't mind telling you, that really worries me," said James with uncharacteristic seriousness. Remus rested his head in his hands.

"Why don't we just ask Dumbledore if he _can_ come to the Shack?" asked Peter. "Madam Pomfrey does believe the wolf reacts better there, doesn't she?"

They all stared at Peter for a moment. Finally, Remus said, "Well…I guess it's worth a try. I'd rather not go back to having my arms chewed off when I wake up, if I don't have to."

Remus couldn't hide the enormous relief when Professor Dumbledore agreed that continuing his transformations at the Shrieking Shack over the summer would work well. Anyone who had wondered why the Shack was silent during school breaks would have their suspicions allayed, at the very least, and Madam Pomfrey had indeed informed Dumbledore of Remus' improvement during the year.

However, Dumbledore informed Remus that Mrs. Lupin would need to accompany him, since the nurse would be on holiday herself and unavailable to care for him. Of course, the Headmaster insisted that his mum stay in the staff quarters and have access to the hospital ward for Remus' recovery. Remus could hardly believe his good fortune. Now, all they needed to do was figure out how his friends would get away to Hogsmeade for each full moon. After considering complicated and devious plans, they decided the simple _I'm spending the night at Peter's/James'/Remus' house_ would be the most convincing. Sirius was the only one likely to get any argument from his family; he told them not to worry; he'd work it out, one way or another.

With this major dilemma resolved, they were all able to board the Hogwart's Express the next morning with far less trepidation. As they settled into their seats, Remus saw Lindi standing on the platform waving goodbye to friends on the train. She obviously wasn't boarding. She hugged Leanna Haversham tightly and looked as though she was starting to tear up when Leanna hurried off to the train. Finally, Lily appeared next to her and through their open window, Remus could hear bits of the conversation.

"…summer will never end," said Lindi.

"Nonsense, just don't worry about it," he heard Lily reply. "It's going to be fun! Have a good summer." The girls hugged and Lily boarded the train as the whistle sounded.

Remus felt a hollow pang in his chest as he watched Lindi standing on the platform looking so beautiful and alone. He knew it was going to feel like the summer would never end.


	14. Butterbeer with Mum

**Chapter 14: Butterbeer with Mum**

**Summary: _It's summer break and over the full moon visit to Hogwarts, Remus and his mum make a trip into Hogsmeade where they run into a certain lovely Ravenclaw. It's an opportunity to learn a little more about the 'girl of his dreams'. But what will Remus' mother think?_**

The summer was sailing by. So far, things had been going very well. Remus missed his friends, but had enjoyed the time at home, especially working with his dad. He figured he had learned as much about Magical Creatures helping his dad over the years as he had from Professor Grubbly-Plank in class; considering she was an excellent teacher, Remus couldn't help feeling extremely proud of his dad for being so knowledgeable. Of course, Magizoology _was_ Richard Lupin's specialty. Remus attributed his O on the Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L. to the hours he had spent tagging along with his dad.

Just a few weeks earlier, they had made a trip to the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides to round up a small herd of thestrals. The mysterious creatures had caused a great deal of consternation for some of the Muggle residents in the outlying regions of Stornoway and an Obliviator from the Ministry of Magic had been sent in to handle the situation once the thestrals had been captured. His father didn't normally handle such a large job, since the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures was responsible for things like this. However, they were low on employees who could see the strange beasts, and his father had been called in. Dad had been able to see thestrals since he was a teenager sitting at his grandfather's bedside when the old man breathed his last.

Remus knew his father had been paid rather handsomely for the thestral job, but more satisfying to his dad had been the knowledge that he had banked a favor to be called in if and when it might be needed. When you had a son listed on the Werewolf Registry, it had to be very comforting to know you were owed favors by the Head of the department that housed it and the Werewolf Capture Unit.

But for Remus, it had been an opportunity to travel with his dad and earn a little extra allowance. He didn't feel he had done much to earn the money since he was still blessed with the inability to see the creatures, which made it difficult to help round them up. He _had_ been able to hold the ropes once his father had the thestrals secured, though, enabling his dad to examine them. His dad had been terribly excited when he discovered that one of the three females was pregnant. Remus was more than a little disappointed that the due date was after he would be back at Hogwarts, even though he wouldn't be able to see the new foal anyway. Throughout the summer, he found himself wishing he could see the beasts, then shivering and regretting it when he remembered the price one paid for the privilege. Still, the time spent with his dad caring for them had been one of the highlights of his summer.

Another highlight had been the fact that the plans for the full moon had worked better than Remus had dared to hope. Sirius had been given a bit of hassle by his parents at the beginning of summer, but now that he was no longer living at Grimmauld Place, he had no trouble making the monthly rendezvous.

Remus had to admire Sirius' courage. Not everyone would walk away from prominence and wealth for their beliefs. Sirius might come across as a bit of an arrogant git at times and rather reckless by some accounts, but he was a decent and fair-minded person. He had always treated Remus with respect when so many others would have shunned him if they had known what he was. Plus, Sirius had always been very embarrassed by the sense of superiority his family possessed, not to mention their outright prejudice towards any who were not blessed with a bloodline as pure as their own. Even though Sirius must have known none of his friends held his family's views against him, now that he had officially severed ties with the _Ancient and Most Noble House of Black_, he seemed more at ease than Remus had seen him in quite some time. Plus, he hadn't exactly been left destitute. The Potters were more than willing and financially capable of providing him with a place to stay and he and James seemed to be enjoying themselves. In addition, his Uncle Alphard made sure he had a bit of spending money each week. All in all, Sirius was doing just fine and the Marauders managed to meet at the Shrieking Shack for Remus' transformations just as they had planned.

Thanks to the presence of his Animagi friends, Remus didn't suffer any more than he absolutely had to. By the end of the summer, his mother had actually learned not to dread the full moon so much. He knew it still broke her heart that her only son had to suffer the pain of transforming, not to mention the social stigma of being a werewolf. But the first morning-after that did not include disinfecting wounds and applying sterile bandages, much less the need for administering blood replenishing potions, must have seemed no less than a miracle to the woman who had borne the knowledge of the horrors inflicted upon her precious child each month. The nicks and scratches on his body were less than minor compared to what she had become accustomed to mending. Remus was as thankful for his mother's obvious relief as his own. He had always felt that, as much as he had suffered, somehow it had been harder on her, the person who loved him and was forced to stand by, helpless to ease his pain. She had always overcompensated by trying to protect him from everything else, including the normal bumps and bruises of childhood. It had always been so ironic that she could calmly clean and bandage the vicious tears and shredded skin from the ravaging wolf, yet become nearly frantic over something minor like the broken finger he had received when he was eight, and had fallen from a tree while searching for bowtruckles. But after experiencing one of his far less brutal transformations, his mother seemed at least _a little_ less protective of him as the summer holidays drew to an end.

Remus found this to be a very pleasant side effect of his friends _taking him out to play _during the transformation. Since the wolf didn't ravage himself when he got to run with his Animagi pack, Remus' mum didn't seem to feel the need to babyhim so much. That made him feel more _normal_ and that he was actually growing up. This was important if he was going to be able to enjoy the prospects of the rapidly approaching start of term. No matter how he tried not to get his hopes up, he couldn't stop thinking of Lindi. He had learned from James, Sirius and Peter that she was actually living in Hogsmeade and working at the Three Broomsticks over summer break. They had been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her through the window while sneaking back to the train station after the first full moon of summer break.

Today, it was Remus' turn. The transformation had been particularly uneventful in terms of injury and after he received several hours of decent rest, his mother suggested they go enjoy a relaxing afternoon. She hadn't been into Hogsmeade in ages and, as long as he was up to it, she wanted a chance to visit. He had been more than willing to endure the painful twinges caused by the stroll into the village, since they would be stopping in at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer and light supper before heading home. Remus couldn't think of eating, but he could nurse a butterbeer if it meant a chance to see Lindi. Of course, he was a little self conscious about letting Lindi see him looking so peaky. She thought it was caused by staying up late _studying_, but this was summer holiday. _Maybe she'll think you were out late having fun…or even on a date, _he thought, wondering at the impossibility of her actually being jealous. _Or maybe she isn't even working today…_ He hoped she would be.

When he and his mum entered the pub, Remus noticed the atmosphere was different when the Hogwarts students weren't swarming the place. There was still a generous sized crowd, but it was mostly adults and the noise volume was more a conversational buzz as opposed to the dull roar provided by the students when they were present. He and his mother picked a booth tucked into a corner and he chose the side facing the room so he would be able to look for Lindi. It only took a minute. The sound of raucous chatter drew his attention to a large round table in the far corner of the pub. There she stood, her back to him, but he would recognize that dark hair, and he thought with a twinge of excitement, _that body_, anywhere. He watched, transfixed, as she turned and walked to the bar

She was dressed like the other girls he had seen working there: peasant blouse, skirt, corset and boots. Of course, she had her blouse pulled up higher on her shoulders and her skirt was full and loose compared to some of the form fitting ones on the others. Somehow, her attempted modesty just made her more alluring, Remus thought, as his eyes traced the lines of her figure. He had read descriptions in magazines about the _delicate curves of a woman's body_ but, highlighted by the shaping power of that corset, there was _nothing_ delicate about Lindi's curves. They were definitely bold…even without the corset…

"Remus? _Remus_, do we need to go back and let you lie down?" asked his mum, snapping him out of his reverie.

"What? No, Mum…I'm fine," he said feeling a bit dazed and warm.

"Well, you looked like you had fallen into a trance or something…and you're all flushed. I've been talking to you and I don't think you heard a word of it." She looked at him with mild concern. "What were you thinking?"

"Um…er…nothing, really. Just that I…er…really like this place. We…me and my friends, I mean…we have fun here." The heat was burning in his cheeks and he felt slightly guilty for some reason.

"Well, figure out what you want so we aren't here all night. We don't want to miss the train. We need to get you home so you can rest."

"I'm fine, Mum. Really. Let's just relax," he said, fighting the twinge of irritation that came with her babying.

He glanced back to the far table as Lindi approached it carrying a tray loaded with drinks. He recognized two of the six men sitting there. The very well dressed blond man was Lucius Malfoy, a Slytherin alumnus who had finished at Hogwarts at the end of Remus' first year. Remus didn't know much about him, but he knew the Malfoys were a very old and wealthy family. Lucius had earned a reputation as a cruel and prejudiced git, but due to his family's stature in the community, this was generally overlooked. Remus had learned _that_ much from Sirius, whose own family was apparently quite friendly with the Malfoys. On more than one occasion, Remus had seen Lucius during Hogsmeade weekends and he always seemed to be surrounded by the same group of Slytherins. They were a rather nasty lot that included Severus Snape, Evan Rosier and, unfortunately, Regulus Black, Sirius' younger brother.

The second person Remus recognized was Ludovic Bagman, the new Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps. Remus knew him from numerous articles in _The Daily Prophet_ and _Quidditch Quarterly_ magazine. The older man at the table had to be Bagman's father, from the looks of him. Like his son, he was tall and husky, though not as muscular as the rising Quidditch star. Bagman Sr. had obviously indulged in his share of butterbeer or more likely, Firewhiskey, from the rosy glow on his cheeks and nose that was visible when he turned to watch Lindi as she started to set down their drinks. Remus didn't like the way any of them were looking at her.

"She's very pretty, isn't she?"

Remus was brought back again by his mother's voice. She sat smiling strangely at him.

"What?" he croaked as the heat rose in his cheeks again.

"That pretty waitress over there…The one you've been staring at since we got here? At least now I know what put you in your _trance_," she smirked maternally. "Is she the reason you and your friends like it here so much?"

His face burned but he was spared from having to answer when Lindi came up to their table looking slightly disgruntled. At first, she didn't seem to realize who he was, much to his disappointment.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Can I get you something from…" Then, recognition showed on her face as she finally looked at him. She seemed a bit taken aback at first but composed herself and smiled politely. "Hello, Lupin. How are you?" She turned to his mother, "Hello."

His mother smiled back and returned the greeting, though, from the look she gave _him_, she was clearly disconcerted by the fact that her son was known by the_ pretty waitress_. _Great, now she'll think I'm in here all the time._

"Hello, Dellington," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Mum, this is Lindinara Dellington. She's in my year at Hogwarts, but in Ravenclaw."

"_Really_?" his mum looked more taken aback. "I thought for certain you were older than sixteen, dear. I must be getting old."

Lindi flushed and looked apologetic. "Actually, I'll be sixteen in the fall."

This news shocked even Remus. He had always assumed she was older from her appearance and considering the age requirement was eleven for first years…Lindi must have seen him calculating this in his head.

"The cutoff is January first at Bukalara. Our school year started end of January," she explained with a shrug.

"So, that's why you had to see Professor Dumbledore about your year before you sorted?" Remus asked.

"Yeah! How did you remember that? I hardly do."

_You don't generally forget anything about the first time you lay eyes on the most beautiful girl you'll ever meet,_ he thought, but decided it would be better to say, "Well, it was a bit unusual."

"I guess it was." Lindi shrugged.

"What year were you in at Bukalara?" asked Remus. If his math was correct, she wouldn't have started fifth year until January, when she transferred…but they were already halfway through fifth year by then…

"I had just finished fourth year. That's why he wasn't sure which class to put me with. He felt it was better for me to repeat part of fourth than skip part of fifth, but I begged him to let me start in fifth," she said.

"Why? Didn't it bother you to miss so much?" asked Remus.

"Not as much as it would bother me for people to wonder what's _wrong_ with me when they found out I was still in fourth year," she said, smirking. Remus must have looked confused because she sighed. "Apparently, I look _too old_ to be in only fourth year and people automatically assume I'm dim. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've heard people mumbling behind my back when they learn my year. I've started giving my age instead. It saves a bit of embarrassment, although…" She was interrupted by one of the other waitresses.

"Lindi, Rosmerta said you can visit when you take your break. Mr. Malfoy's table wants another round," said the young woman.

Lindi pulled a face. "Could you get it for me Janice? I'll split the tip," she said pleadingly.

"Sorry, Lindi. They insist _you_ bring it." Janice shrugged her shoulders and was off.

"Well, what can I get for you, Mrs. Lupin?" Lindi asked briskly.

"I think we'll just have a couple of butterbeers for now, won't we, dear?" she asked Remus. He smiled and nodded and wished his mum would stop calling him _dear_ as if he were five.

He tried not to watch as Lindi walked over to the bar and placed their order then picked up the full tray for the Malfoy table. He didn't want to be accused of _staring_ again. But as she approached the table, the men became more boisterous and even his mum glanced their way. He wondered how many rounds they had already imbibed.

"You're keeping us waiting, Lindi!" he heard someone say, but couldn't hear her response.

"A _friend_?" cried Bagman Sr. as she reached in and sat his drink on the table before him. "I want to be your friend too, Lindi," he said loudly as his arm flew around her and he grabbed her bum with a large meaty hand.

Remus watched in shock as she jumped away, losing control of the tray and the drinks still on it. She managed to save the tray, but not before a glass flew off and landed squarely in Lucius' lap. He let out a howl and Lindi winced when she saw what she had done. Instinctively, she grabbed the towel she carried and started to dab at the spill, apologizing as she did. When she realized what she was doing, she drew her hand back from his lap as if she had been scalded. Remus felt his jaw clench as Lucius stared at her with a wickedly twisted grin and said in a smarmy voice, "Don't stop now."

Remus started to pull out his wand and slide out of the booth but his mother hissed, "Sit _down_, Remus!" and before he could think, Madam Rosmerta was at Lindi's side.

"What's all this?" snapped Rosmerta.

"Your young waitress has spilled a drink on me and was just getting ready to blot it up," Malfoy said smoothly.

Rosmerta took out her wand and Remus could see the spot dry immediately.

"Lindi, apologize to Mr. Malfoy and get them another round," said Rosmerta calmly. "Bagman, you've had quite enough, and if you don't keep your hands off my girls, you're _out_. She's young enough to be your daughter."

As Lindi walked back to the bar, the men sniggered and made comments Remus couldn't hear. When she returned with the new drinks, Malfoy leered lustfully at her. She quickly sat them down and headed back to Remus' table. She started to set his mother's butterbeer down and noticed they already had some.

"Oh…did Janice bring those?" she asked. His mother nodded sympathetically.

"We were going to insist that _you_ bring them but…" Remus said wryly and shrugged his shoulders.

Lindi rolled her eyes and started to apologize. Remus felt a small flutter in his stomach. He hadn't meant to embarrass her. He had hoped to make light of the situation, but she was so…_sweet_. It wasn't her fault; yet she was the one apologizing.

"I'm really sorry you've been waiting so long. Here…please have these on me." She set the butterbeer bottles down in front of them and insisted when his mother began to protest. They ordered sandwiches and Lindi got back to work.

"She seems like a nice girl," said his mother in a way that made Remus feel she was fishing for a reaction. This was territory he didn't want to tread with his mum at the moment.

"Yeah, I guess she is," he said as offhandedly as he could. "Sirius tried to get her to go out with him all last term," he added. If his mum thought _Sirius_ liked Lindi, maybe that would throw her off of _his_ trail.

"Oh, really? Didn't she go?"

"No, but it didn't stop him asking." His rather deceptive implication that Sirius liked Lindi seemed to work, and his mum busied herself watching the other patrons. Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

Shortly, the Malfoy party broke up. When Lindi went to clear their table, Lucius followed her back, and Remus could see him hold out his hand to her. She shook her head, looking embarrassed, but Lucius reached for her hand and pressed something into her palm. Then, he walked away in his superior fashion, disappearing out the door into the street. Lindi laid the coins on her tray and from where Remus sat, he guessed there must be at least five galleons. _Big tip_, he thought. _She sure earned it_.

Lindi returned to the bar and picked up their sandwich order and brought it to them. Rosmerta called for her to take her break and Remus watched his mum's face light up, making him a little nervous.

"Why don't you join us, Lindi? I can't possibly drink this other butterbeer," his mum said.

Lindi looked startled by the invitation and hesitated. Then, she cast a quick glance at him, and Remus thought he saw her cheeks flush slightly before she turned back to his mum. _Is she thinking about what Lily said?_ he wondered hopefully.

"I don't want to intrude on your dinner," Lindi said.

"Don't be silly! I seldom get an opportunity to talk to Remus' friends from school…other than those three hoodlums he lives with." His mum winked and Lindi grinned.

"Mum, you know they're not hoodlums," Remus said quietly.

"If you say so, dear." She smiled at Lindi and shot her another wink. Lindi gave a look that suggested she wasn't so sure they weren't _all_ hoodlums and smiled back. "Come on and join us…unless you had something else planned for your break?"

"Alright, thank you," said Lindi.

She slid into the booth next to his mum and looked across the table at him. He got the feeling he was being appraised and felt a bit self conscious of the circles that were undoubtedly under his eyes. Then he remembered what she had said to Lily, and he looked her squarely in the eye. Her reaction made him a bit lighter headed than he already felt. She seemed to catch her breath and looked away nervously. So…he really _did_ have intense eyes. _Or are they dreamy? No, she'd keep looking if it was the dreamy thing. But, either way_, Remus thought, _Cool!_ He felt a surge of confidence.

"So Lindi, do you have to put up with that kind of harassment often?" his mother said, bringing him back to reality, yet again.

"Well, that's definitely the worst I've had to deal with, so far. But, there is usually someone who can't handle his Firewhiskey and gets…_fresh_. Fortunately, Rosmerta is very protective, and everyone knows she won't put up with it." Lindi shrugged. "I don't know why men think just because a girl works in a pub, she wants to be _felt up_!" she said with a note of anger. Then she looked at his mother and raised her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh Mrs. Lupin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that; I didn't mean to be vulgar."

"Don't worry about it, dear. Sometimes the truth isn't pretty," his mum said.

Remus felt a wave of relief that his mother hadn't been offended. He had never considered her to be a prude, but she was always very proper and never mentioned anything remotely sexual in front of him. _Thank goodness!_

"But don't think all men are beasts, Lindi," said his mum. "Why, if I ever caught wind that my Remus treated a girl shabbily, I'd throttle him to within an inch of his life!" she finished, throwing him a stern look.

_Crap_! he thought miserably. _'MY' Remus…why is she dragging me into this?_ He felt his cheeks burn and thought of Lindi's conversation with Lily again. Lindi thought he had treated Darlene and Bridget shabbily, didn't she? He looked across the table at her, and from the look she gave him, he knew she was thinking the same thing. He looked down at his half eaten sandwich. What little appetite he had was now gone, along with some of his confidence.

"Anyway…Do I understand correctly that you started school in Australia then, Lindi," his mother asked, "because you sound British?"

Remus was thankful for the shift in conversation. He also got the feeling he was about to learn a little about Lindi and looked up.

"I am. I was born in St. Mungo's, and we lived in several places around the UK before my mum died," Lindi replied. "Then I went to live with my great aunt in Australia. I lived with her until she died, back in December."

"Oh, Lindi, I'm so sorry. How old were you when your mum died?" asked his mother.

"I was ten. It was the summer before I started my first year at school. Although, I suppose I wouldn't have started until the following year if she hadn't died, since I would have gone to Hogwarts and missed the age cutoff."

"Ten is so young. I'm truly sorry," his mum said and Lindi nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you. I really miss her sometimes, but at least it was around the time I was ready to leave for school, when I would have missed her anyway…not like if I was a small child, still at home. Luckily, I was old enough to remember her, and I have really good and vivid memories. I suppose things can almost always be worse." Lindi was being very strong, but Remus saw her eyes starting to glisten. Apparently, so did his mother, as she changed the subject.

"So, how did you end up in Hogsmeade? Do you have family here?"

"Yes, Rosmerta is my second cousin. Her mum and my grandmotherwere sisters. After my Aunt Ronnie died, I didn't have anywhere to go, so she agreed to let me come and stay here during school breaks. She lets me have one of the rental rooms and board, and I get to work during holidays. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to go to Hogwarts. With Hogsmeade right next door, it made sense that I try to get accepted there, instead of going all the way back and forth to Bukalara."

"Well, did you enjoy living in Australia?" his mum asked brightly.

"Yes, it's quite beautiful…but I am glad to be back in Britain. It was a bit warm where we were and don't even get me started on the _creepy crawlies_!" Lindi gave a dramatic shiver. Remus smiled. Not only was she stunning, but she was _cute_ as well. He found himself liking her more by the minute.

"They have some fairly nasty snakes down under, don't they?" he asked and laughed at her reaction. Just the thought made her wince.

"Aunt Ronnie used to find them in the cellar." She shivered involuntarily that time. "Let's not talk about them please."

"Alright," he said.

Lindi smiled thankfully and took a drink of her butterbeer. He watched her as she pressed the bottle to her lips and swallowed. He had to stifle a groan. _Ohh, Merlin, you are gorgeous…I'll talk about whatever you want. Look at those lips…lucky butterbeer_, he thought. He swallowed hard as she lowered the bottle back to the table and he noticed his mother looking at him, frowning as if she had heard his thoughts. He felt his ears go hot. He didn't know what was wrong with him…he had liked girls before, but he wasn't usually so…_stupid_ about it. _Mum is sitting right there! Get a grip, Remus!_

"Well, what do you think of Hogwarts, Lindi?" his mother asked, glaring at him before finally looking away. Lindi's face lit up with a smile.

"Oh, it's fabulous! I had wanted to attend Hogwarts since I was a little girl. I can remember being at King's Cross when I was ten and watching the students board the Hogwarts Express…This one girl was crying and holding on to her mum. I couldn't understand why she didn't want to go…I was so jealous!"

Remus thought back to his first trip on the Hogwarts Express; he had been so excited to be going to Hogwarts. He realized that Lindi must be referring to his _own_ first year. He remembered the day so clearly. He too, had watched as a girl cried in her mum's arms…Suddenly, Remus remembered watching a girl…a pretty, dark-haired girl who had watched the same scene enviously. Goosebumps sprang to life on his arms. How many chance encounters could be considered coincidence? Remus mentally catalogued his past brushes with Lindi. He saw her his first year at King's Cross, then two years later at the Three Broomsticks, and finally on her first day at Hogwarts. It was almost like... kismet, but Remus didn't believe in destiny. He was in control of his own life. But when Lindi smiled at something his mother said, and his ears burned a brighter shade of crimson, Remus suddenly wished he _did_ believe in fate. He almost blurted out that he had seen Lindi on the platform, but she was still talking.

"I couldn't wait to go. I always heard it was the finest school in the world and I believe it. The library alone is spectacular! Bukalara was good, but it just wasn't up to Hogwarts standard. I learned that pretty quickly. I don't think I would have been so keen to jump in midway through fifth year if I had known what I know now," she said.

"I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised Professor Dumbledore would agree to it," said his mum.

"I was, too. But I think he realized how desperate I was and must have felt sorry for me. I didn't think he was going to agree for a while. He just stared at me…it was like he was trying to read my mind to see if I knew enough. I think I must have subconsciously tried to convince him I did. All of a sudden everything I'd ever learnt came flashing into my head…even things I don't even remember learning. It was strange." Lindi shrugged befuddled.

Remus thought briefly about a form of magic he had read about. Some wizards could sort of read minds. He would bet that if anyone could, it was Albus Dumbledore.

"But, next thing I knew, he was letting me join fifth year," Lindi continued briskly. "I was thrilled, until I realized how behind I was, once classes got started. Well, actually…I'm _still_ behind," she said as she glanced at Remus, looking embarrassed. "I guess it just goes to show that anyone, even Professor Dumbledore, can make mistakes. He should have put me in fourth year. I'm afraid I made quite a mess of my Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. practical," she admitted quietly.

"Did you pass?" asked Remus delicately, though he already knew the answer. Lindi gave a little snort and shook her head.

"Hardly!" she said. "I think they had to create an entirely new category of failure for me, S for Stinksap!"

"Sorry," he said, smiling sympathetically.

"Thanks, but it didn't come as a big shock or anything. I'm sure you know that, since we had class together. How about you? I could tell you're good at it."

"Yeah, I did alright."

"_Alright_?" cried his mum. "You got Outstanding!" She beamed proudly at him.

"Mum," Remus said softly as he flushed in embarrassment.

"Wow," said Lindi, her eyes wide with awe. "That's very impressive. You must be really gifted."

His face grew hotter. "I don't think it's a gift so much as really concerted effort."

"Don't listen to him, Lindi," said his mum. "He does work hard because he loves school, but he's also very talented. He always has been." Remus rolled his eyes as his mum practically glowed with pride. "If you're having trouble with Defense, Remus could certainly help you."

_Thank you, Mum_! But his mother must have realized from the hopeful gleam in his eyes, just how much Remus would love to _help_ Lindi and she bristled.

"Of course, being in different houses, it would probably be very inconvenient," his mother added quickly. "It is much easier to have study partners in your _own house_. I'm sure Ravenclaw has some very good tutors you could use."

_Thanks a lot, mum_.

"Merlin's beard!" his mother cried. She was distracted by a group of women who had entered the pub. "It's Sophia Chambers. I haven't seen her in ages. You don't mind if I go say hello, do you?"

Lindi and Remus looked at each other. They were both obviously unsure about being left at the table alone, but Remus thought the conversation had been quite good so far, with the exception of the treating-girls-shabbily bit. Lindi stood to let his mum out of the booth and hesitated for a moment as if she were about to say she needed to get back to work or something. But after the moment's hesitation, she sat back down across from him and they shared an awkward moment of silence.

_Come on, Remus, think of something to say…Don't just sit here like a stump…think…No, not the weather…come on…_ He realized his brain was a little sluggish. After all, it was the day after full moon. He suddenly felt a little better about getting caught staring at Lindi so much.

"So, have you seen anyone from school over summer holiday?" he finally asked.

She looked as relieved as he was at the benign conversation. "Yes, quite a few people have come in…You?'

"Yes. James, Sirius, Peter and I have gotten together a couple of times," he said.

"Oh really, and what sort of mischief have you lot gotten up to?"

Remus smiled and let out a small snort. The Marauders really did have a bit of a reputation, didn't they?

"Nothing _too_ dastardly…they were pretty quiet visits actually," he said. _If you'd consider running around the forest with a werewolf quiet…_

"Why do I find that hard to imagine?" she asked. He shrugged his shoulders innocently and she smirked. There was a slight lull in the conversation and then out of nowhere, she said, "Well, have you heard from Darlene Wilkins?"

Remus felt as if he'd just been punched. "I'm sorry?"

"You know…Darlene Wilkins…in Ravenclaw," she said in a rather accusatory tone.

"Yes, I know Darlene. But, I don't know why you would think I was in touch with her?" He hoped he sounded casual and not as defensive as he felt. He wanted to get this cleared up right away, especially if she and Darlene were friends.

"Well, after you went out with her, right before O.W.L.s, she got the impression that…" But, her sentence was interrupted by the return of his mother. Remus looked away to hide his annoyance and then turned back and forced a smile.

"That was quick, Mum."

"Yes, she was in a rush. We're going to get together for tea next week when we go into Diagon Alley, while you and your father get your school supplies. She has to pick up Henry's things. Do you ever see him? He's in Hufflepuff, I think…second or third year."

"Not often, Mum," Remus said distractedly; he was too engaged in a staring contest with Lindi at the moment. It didn't last long. Lindi started to blush and looked away quickly.

"I better be getting back to work. My break was over a while ago," Lindi said as she stood to let Mrs. Lupin back into the booth. "It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Lupin. Have a safe trip home."

"Good bye, Lindi," said his mum. "You take care. Remus, we better get over to the station."

Lindi looked at Remus and barely met his eyes. "See you at school, I guess."

"Right," he replied quietly. _CRAP! That didn't end the way it was supposed to. CRAAAP!_


	15. Not Her Little Boy Anymore

**Chapter 15 Not Her Little Boy Anymore **

**Summary: _On the ride home, Remus' mum wants to talk. Remus would really rather not, but it is hard to hide in a train car. Some things are hard for a teenager to tell his mother and even harder for a mother to face. Fortunately, Remus' dad is rational and they have a good talk, man to man. _**

Remus and his mother boarded the train at Hogsmeade station and found a compartment that was unoccupied. They took their seats across from one another as Remus looked out the window at the people milling about on the platform. He was starting to feel very tired again and hoped he might catch a wink if he could get his mind to stop replaying the conversation with Lindi. He wished they had been able to finish it and get things straightened out. He didn't like that she thought he was a cad; especially when he wasn't. Darlene must have told her something, and he wanted to know what it was so that he could explain the situation. As he considered what he would say to her when he had the chance, the whistle sounded and the train slowly pulled away. It wasn't until the last buildings of the village had faded into the distance that Remus realized how quiet his mum was being. He looked across at her and noticed she was staring at him peculiarly. There was a sudden squeamish knot in his stomach that he didn't think was related to the after-effects of the full moon.

"What's the matter, Mum?" he asked. He had a bad feeling about the way she was looking at him.

"I've just realized that you aren't a little boy anymore. You're growing up," she said wistfully.

_Uh-Oh._ "Well, Mum, that happens," he said, hopeful that the conversation would go no further.

"Yes, I suppose it does…How well do you know Lindi?" she asked.

_Oh, no_. "Not well, Mum," he answered. "We just had a couple of classes together, that's all."

"But you'd like to, wouldn't you?" she asked tenderly.

_Ohhh, crap!_ Remus just stared at her, feeling horror stricken.

"I could tell by the way you were looking at her," she continued, to his increased horror. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. I suppose you and your father should have a talk when we get home."

_Oh, bloody hell! _"Talk about _what_, Mum?" he yelped, but wished he hadn't asked as soon as the words escaped his mouth.

"Well, you know," she said, going a bit red in the face herself. "If you are getting interested in girls, your father needs to talk to you about… _things_."

_GETTING interested? What am I…twelve? This is a nightmare!_ Remus covered his eyes with his hand trying to block the image of his sweet, proper mum telling him about the birds and bees. He knew she could be a bit naïve about him and had trouble facing the fact that he was, indeed, growing up, but this was _ridiculous_. He took a calming breath and looked back up at her.

"Mum, I don't want to upset you, but…you're about three and a half years too late." She looked mortified and if this hadn't been so unbelievably awkward, he might have laughed. "I'm sixteen years old, Mum. Don't worry, though…Dad talked to me. Now, can we talk about something else, _please_?"

"When…when did your father talk to you?" she was visibly shaken. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"When I was twelve," he said as his mother's mouth dropped. "I guess he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to…" _freak out like this_ "...worry."

"Worry!" she said shrilly. "Why on earth would I _worry_? It's a perfectly normal part of growing up. But I don't see why he felt the need to do it when you were so young! _Twelve_! My word, why would he feel the need to talk to you when you were so _young_?"

Remus looked at his mother intently. Once again, he thought of her life. She had suffered along with him, through the torturous ordeal of being a werewolf. She had been ostracized by old friends and forced to sacrifice a great deal because of him. But she had endured it stoically, for his sake. He knew she would walk into a dragon's lair for him. But now, she was feeling excluded from one of life's greatest adventures. She had earned the right to know at least _some _of the intimate details of his current life, no matter how embarrassing.

"I asked him, Mum," he said gently.

"Why? You weren't…you didn't start…" she looked as though it was unheard of for a boy to be curious. It made him realize just how isolated _she _had been, while he was growing up. "When you were just _twelve_?" she whispered as if it would make it less awful than asking out loud.

He couldn't help smiling at her even though his ears were so hot he thought his hair might ignite. "No, Mum, but we…my friends, I mean…we'd started talking and I didn't know if my…_condition_…would, you know…make a difference. I just wanted to know if…if there was anything I needed to know…aside from the normal stuff…" _That was bloody awkward_.

"Well, what did he tell you?" she asked.

"Please don't ask me that, Mum," he implored. "This conversation is weird enough as it is."

She stared at him for a moment. She was obviously struggling with these revelations and seemed to be steeling herself for more. That made him very nervous.

"Well… _have_ you?" she asked.

_I can't believe this!_ "Have I _what_, Mum?" If she was going to embarrass the living daylights out of him, she was going to have to say it. _Please don't say it._

"Been with a girl?" she blurted.

"Crikey, Mum!" He looked out the window hoping she would let it drop but when he turned back, she was still waiting. He gave up, but was now a little irritated at the invasion of his privacy. "That depends on what you mean by _been with_," he said. "If you mean have I shagged anyone, _no_!" She gasped. "But, I have snogged a few girls. So, if that's what you're talking about, then, yes."

"_Remus John Lupin_! Don't you get shirty with me, young man! I don't want to hear that kind of language again!" She would focus on the language to keep from having to deal with her _little boy's _budding sexuality. _Thank goodness!_

"Well, you asked, Mum." He said only slightly apologetically.

They sat in silence the rest of the way home. It was a welcome reprieve, even if it was a bit awkward.

-------------------------------------------------------------

When they arrived home, Richard Lupin was at the table in the small kitchen going over paperwork. His empty dinner plate was pushed to the side and he had a half finished glass of elderberry wine in his hand. He smiled warmly as they entered but became wary when his wife, obviously in a bit of a huff, dropped her bags in a chair and testily removed the dirty plate to the sink. Then she turned to her husband, her lips pursed severely enough to impress Professor McGonagall. He looked at his son, brows raised quizzically.

"Everything alright?" his father asked.

Remus shrugged and threw him a _don't ask _glance. When his mother made a _hrmphing _sound, Remus decided it was best just to go on to his own room and get ready for bed. He was exhausted and sore anyway. As he walked stiffly down the small hallway to the stairs, he could hear his mother's voice getting shriller by the moment and imagined his father sitting calmly at the table saying nothing. Dad would give Mum the chance to get it all out and then, he would handle the situation. Mum was the emotional one in the family and Dad, the rational one. Remus had always viewed them that way. He had more of his father's temperament, although he wasn't quite as cool and collected as Richard Lupin. He had never known his father to lose his composure and act rashly as he, Remus, had almost done earlier at the Three Broomsticks. He had gone over the day's events in his head during the quiet part of their ride home and realized he had been foolish to even consider taking on Lucius Malfoy and a table full of grown men. What had he been thinking?

_You were thinking about Delectable Dellington, that's what? Just like you were in Adamson's class…Snap out of it, Remus, before you make a first class prat of yourself!_

Remus climbed the narrow staircase to his room and collapsed on his bed. A gentle breeze fluttered the curtains as it drifted in through the open window, and the sounds of crickets filled the night. It was a peaceful sound that contrasted sharply with the somewhat frantic sound of his parents' conversation. He could hear them fairly clearly thanks to the exhaust pipe that ran through one corner of his room from the kitchen beneath him. That pipe was a good conductor of sound and he had been privy to many conversations because of it. It had also caused him to lose a fair bit of sleep due to the sounds of clanging pots and pans as his mother prepared breakfast in the mornings. In his second year, he had finally started casting a buffering charm on it to prevent being awakened or hearing things he'd rather not. Remus didn't make a habit of flouting the rule against underage sorcery. But when Sirius had informed him that it was virtually impossible for the Ministry to enforce the decree in wizarding families, since they could only detect the _spell_, and not the _caster_, Remus had decided it was often a risk worth taking. He lost enough sleep to his lycanthropy. He really didn't know why he hadn't realized all this sooner. Leave it to Sirius to know a way around the rules.Remus also made sure to buffer the pipe against the sounds of his friends' conversations to prevent his parents over-hearing _them _on the rare occasions when they came to visit. However, tonight he would not cast the buffering charm because he wanted to listen. He could hear his father's muffled voice.

"Rena, what did you expect…that he would be celibate his entire life?"

"Of course not. But Richard…he wasn't even thirteen. Is that normal?"

His dad laughed. "Of course it's _normal_. It was just curiosity, Rena. Actually, after meeting Sirius, I was surprised it didn't happen much sooner. I think Remus had probably been working up his nerve to ask for a while. I wouldn't worry about him. I was really proud of him for asking about the things he did and how he responded. He's a good and responsible young man."

"Well, he is … _snogging_ girls," she said under her breath so that Remus could just barely hear her.

"Thank goodness!" his father laughed again. "Rena, he's over sixteen years old. He's supposed to be snogging girls! You should consider yourself very lucky if he isn't doing a great deal more than that."

"Richard!" she shrieked. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. You should have seen him looking at that girl!"

Remus cringed as he remembered the look on his mother's face that afternoon. He must have been so obvious. He made a mental note to try to be more discreet next time. Though he didn't know how he'd manage when he could hardly think whenever Lindi was around.

"Well, are they dating?" asked his father.

"Gracious, no!" she gasped. "He'd do well to stay away from her. She attracts far too much attention…and from the wrong sort. You should have seen the lot she had to deal with. One of them was Abraxas Malfoy's boy. You remember him…That poor girl is in for trouble. You should have seen the way the men reacted to her, and she's only _fifteen_. My mum would have said she has a very _lusty_ look about her, if you know what I mean."

"Are you telling me Remus fancies a _tart_?" his dad asked with mild concern. "That doesn't sound like him."

"No, she's no tart. She actually seems like a very sweet girl."

"Well, why did you say she was _lusty_?" asked his father.

"I didn't say she _was_ lusty. I said she _looks_ lusty. You know what I mean," said his mum.

"You mean she wears her clothes too tight?"

"No, that's not it," she said.

"Too much makeup, then?"

"No, Richard…it's not like that….she didn't even have any makeup on." His mother's voice hinted at her frustration.

Remus knew _exactly_ what she was trying to say. He had already discussed this aspect of Lindi's appearance with Sirius. He got the feeling Dad had figured it out as well, and was just tormenting Mum. Remus could imagine the wicked grin playing on his father's face as he forced her to explain.

"Well…she's the kind of girl that makes men think…you know…Oh, _really_, Richard! You should have seen the look on Remus' face when she drank out of that butterbeer bottle. I thought I was going to have to wipe the drool off his chin!" she snapped. "She's _that_ kind of girl!"

His father burst into laughter. Remus cringed again.

"You mean she's _sexy_?" teased his dad.

"You can't imagine," his mother said slowly. "That poor girl is too pretty for her own good. Looks like that can be a real curse…and her without a mum to help her."

"Sounds like she could do with dating a nice boy like Remus," his dad said.

Remus always knew his dad was a smart man, but he never realized he was a _genius_. If he could just get his dad and Lily to work together, things might actually work out.

"Remus doesn't really need that kind of attention, Richard, as you well know. Besides, Sirius apparently likes her. Remus said he asked her out all last term but she wouldn't go with him."

"Well, there you go. She can't be all that _lusty_ if she won't go out with Sirius," his dad chuckled. "Stop worrying, Rena. Whether he dates _her _or a hundred other girls, there's really nothing you can do about it at this point. He's growing up. He'll be of age before you know it. You just have to trust him to be the man you've raised him to be. I don't think he'll disappoint you. He loves you too much. The fact that he'd even talk to you about this should be a comfort to you."

"What's comforting about finding out your little boy is… _snogging_ and wants to have…s-s-_sex_…with a fifteen year old vixen?" she whined, barely able to say the dreaded S word.

"He is not a little boy, Rena." His father's voice had taken on a firm yet compassionate tone. "And if you don't want to know the desires of your teenage son, don't_ ask_ him," he said gently. "I really can't believe you did. Poor Remus…I bet he was mortified." He laughed quietly.

_Mortified might describe it, _thought Remus as he sat up on the bed, thankful for his father's sanity. He stood up and headed to the bathroom. He had heard enough for one night. On his way back to the room, he heard his mother's footsteps retreating down the hall to his parent's bedroom and decided to go say 'hi' to his father. He found him sitting in a chair in the living room reading the _Evening Prophet_.

"Hiya, Dad," he said quietly.

"Hello, son. Feeling alright?"

Remus shrugged and sat down on the couch.

"Well, you look pretty good…especially considering what you had to endure on the way home," he smiled sympathetically. "Who would dream that the ride home could possibly be the worst part of your trip? So, how _awful _was it?"

"Pretty awful, Dad," he said, shaking his head. "I don't think Mum will ever look at me the same way again."

"No, she won't," his dad said frankly. Remus was not expecting that response. He thought his father would just tell him not to worry… that she would get over it. "That's a good thing, Remus. You're _not_ a little boy and it's time she stopped thinking you were. Just be patient with her. It isn't easy for a mother to accept that her baby is growing up, even when she sees it right before her very eyes." He folded the _Prophet_ and laid it down on the side table. He took off his reading glasses, setting them down on the paper then looked back at Remus amusedly. "So, care to tell me about this girl your mum is so worked up about?"

Remus felt himself going quite red in the face. "There's nothing to tell, really. She's just a girl from school…" His dad waited. "Well, not just _any_ girl; she's actually the most gorgeous girl on the planet." He blushed deeper still and smiled bashfully at his grinning dad.

"So I gather," his father said and then waited again to see if Remus felt like telling him more. That was the great thing about his dad; he didn't push and he didn't make you feel like an idiot.

"But, she's really nice…not all snobbish about it. I'm not sure she even realizes how good-looking she is," said Remus. "Though I don't see how she couldn't." He'd had all these thoughts of her bottled up for ages now and he really wanted his father's opinion. Was he being an idiot, or not?

"Is she in Gryffindor?" asked his dad. Remus smirked slightly.

"Nah, Ravenclaw," he answered.

"Ah, so she's smart, is she?"

"Yeah, I think she might have a photographic memory from some of the answers she'd give in class. I couldn't believe some of the details she knew. She's always got her nose in a book." Remus smiled remembering Sirius' frustration with this particular fact.

"Sounds like someone I know," his father said pointedly.

"Well, I don't learn it as fast as she apparently does…unfortunately."

"So, she's the whole package, eh? Beauty, brains _and_ she's nice…a bloke couldn't ask for more than that," said his dad. "So, does this _goddess_ have any flaws?" he teased.

Remus blushed again as he struggled to think of one.

"She snorts like a pig when she laughs?" suggested his father jovially.

"Nah, nice laugh," Remus said. He remembered the hearty yet feminine giggle he had heard during her conversation with Lily after the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Then Remus smiled. "But, she is absolutely _horrendous_ at practical Defense Against the Dark Arts! She can't hex her way out of a paper bag." Somehow, that statement had irritated him when James said it, but now, Remus was glad he could tell his father. He didn't want his dad to think he was so smitten with her that he thought she was perfect. He knew better than that, though she did come exceptionally close.

His father laughed. "Well, you could help her out with that, couldn't you?"

"Yeah, if she wanted me to," Remus said unable to suppress a grin. His father smiled fondly. No doubt his dad could tell he was indeed smitten. It didn't embarrass him _too _terribly much, but he thought it would be good to come up with another flaw, if possible.

"Oh, and she's no good with a quick comeback. She still gets completely flustered by Sirius even though he's been teasing her for months. She's rather an easy target. I think she's a bit naïve even though she's so smart." Remus didn't know if this was actually a flaw. He really thought it was rather adorable, but it _was_ something she wasn't good at.

"That makes you want to protect her, doesn't it?" his father asked a bit more seriously. Remus shrugged bashfully. The man knew him so well. _Better think of something else. _

"She seems a bit high strung, really…kind of like Mum…emotional, you know." He was on a roll, now. "And she becomes a raving _lunatic_ at the mere thought of a snake!"

"So she's no Slytherin, eh?" his father laughed.

"Nah, but not much of a Gryffindor, either."

"Well, nobody's perfect…thank goodness!" said his dad with more laughter. "All that perfection would get awfully dull after a while, don't you think?" His smile faded and he looked at Remus intently. "It sounds like you really fancy this girl, Remus."

Remus shrugged dismally.

"Half the guys in school fancy her, Dad," he said softly. "She's well out of my league. She won't even go out with Sirius, when any other girl would bite your arm off for the chance."

"Well, no offense to Sirius, but you have some qualities that he is rather lacking at the moment; qualities that many girls would probably find quite attractive. Just don't sell yourself short, Remus," he smiled affectionately.

Remus thought for a moment and started to frown.

"Something else on your mind, son?" asked his dad.

He looked at his father anxiously and took a deep breath.

"What do I do…er, I mean…when should I tell her about…well, not _her_, but any girl…when do I need to…ughhh!" he shook his head to clear it and started again as his father waited patiently.

"If I actually started dating someone…more seriously, I mean…at what point would I, or should I, tell her about…being a werewolf?" He looked expectantly at his father, waiting for a bit of his never failing wisdom. Dad raised a hand to his face and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Just when we think we've worked everything out and things are going well, something new comes along to complicate your life all over again, doesn't it?" his father said dolefully.

Remus gave a sardonic snort.

"That's a tricky one, Remus. I can't give you a hard and fast rule for romance. Obviously, you can't tell every girl you might go out with. You would need to know she could be trusted to keep your secret even if…" he sighed sadly. "…even if she found it _unacceptable_."

Remus nodded his understanding.

"So, you would need to know her pretty well, I think. But, in fairness to her, you wouldn't want to wait too long… she should have all the…er… _facts_ before…" he took a bracing breath and said simply, "you don't want to be making love to a girl who doesn't know the whole truth about you, Remus. It just wouldn't be fair."

Remus felt the warmth creeping into his cheeks once again. "Right, of course I wouldn't," he said unequivocally.

"I know you wouldn't. I'm sorry I can't be more specific. Love is a tricky business, under any circumstance. You just have to play it by ear and do your best to protect yourself while trying not to hurt the girl; same as anybody else, only with greater consequences." He looked closely at his son. "Does that help at all?"

"Yeah, Dad, thanks," Remus said sincerely. He deeply appreciated his father's counsel because he was always so honest without being brutal. While he never made Remus feel like a freak, he still acknowledged his…_abnormality_… with an objectivity that his mother had never mastered. Besides, he certainly couldn't talk to his mum about this.

"It's funny," said his father. "It was easier to talk to you about sex than about love. I suppose that's because love is so much more complicated."

Remus smiled. "Maybe I should be more like Sirius and just stick to sex for a while and worry about love later."

His father snorted. "Don't let your mother hear you talking like that! As your father, I am obligated to tell you to put them _both_ off until later. Unless, of course, it's already too late for that?" he asked inquisitively. "Contrary to what you told your mother on the train today?"

Remus grinned sheepishly and shook his head. "No, Dad."

"Alright!" his father said with relief. "Well, in that case, I'm off to bed. I suggest you do the same." He got up from the chair and headed towards the hallway. "Good night, son."

"Good night, Dad."

Dad paused when he got to the door and walked back to the couch. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder and Remus looked up at him. "And, Remus, when you _do_ shag a girl…even if it isn't until your wedding night…don't tell your mother. It's more information than she wants or needs." He patted a blushing Remus on the shoulder affectionately and walked out into the hallway. Remus smiled to himself and headed to his own room.


	16. Sixth Year Begins

**Chapter 16 Sixth Year Begins**

**Summary: _As Sixth Year begins, the boys find Lily hasn't given up on her mission and with a summons from the Headmaster, they might even learn a few new things._**

_A/N: **HBP SPOILER**: In this chapter, some of the information we received in HBP has created a bit of a problem with my timeline in terms of the build-up of the first war. From what Molly told us about people, including Arthur and herself, eloping left and right because of the dangers, and since we know they were married earlier than 1970, things with Voldemort were obviously bad earlier than I imply in this story. I have simply compressed the build-up of hostilities and made them become evident a little later than they actually occurred. I don't like messing up canon, but I didn't know at the time of writing…sorry._

_A/N 2: A Blue Moon occurs when there are two full moons in a single month. It is the second one and only occurs once every two to three years. There was one in July, 1977, the summer between the Marauders' sixth and seventh years. Don't you know Remus would just hate those months? Just something I found interesting._

The last weeks of summer break passed uneventfully, if a bit awkwardly. It had taken a while for Regina Lupin to come to terms with her _grown-up_ son, but she had found a way to live harmoniously with this newly discovered aspect of her child. She ignored it. At least she didn't confront him about it anymore. She seemed content to let Dad handle this crisis. That was fine with Remus. He was glad things were back to normal, or as close as they would ever be again, by the time September first rolled around. When she left him at the station in Llanberis, he had even allowed her an extra tight hug before he boarded the train.

"Now, you stay out of trouble and be careful," she said as her voice quivered and her eyes misted over. "And stop growing. I can barely reach your face anymore."

Remus smiled and leaned down slightly so she could reach him and presented his cheek for her to kiss. He wanted to leave her with the knowledge that he knew, in some ways, he would always be her _little boy_.

"Love you, Mum," he whispered and then quickly gathered up his things.

-------------------------------------------

When Remus reached Kings Cross Station, he made his way to platform 9 and 3/4, purchased his ticket and boarded the Hogwarts Express. He didn't have a lot of time before it would depart, so once on board, he went to check in with the Head Boy and Girl for the prefects meeting. He was delighted to see that Phil Michaelson had been made Head Boy and Emmeline Vance, Head Girl. It was always nice to have people in charge that weren't terribly anal about things. Plus, neither of them was particularly long-winded so meetings should be fairly painless, as was the case with their first one aboard the Hogwart's Express. There were introductions of the new fifth year prefects, which happened to include Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, and a few announcements. Then, after distribution of the first week's patrol schedule, Remus was free to head off to find his friends.

James, Sirius, and Peter had saved him a seat, in a compartment to themselves. Remus was glad they were alone since he was anxious to talk to them. He hadn't seen them since his visit to the Three Broomsticks and hadn't felt like writing about the things that had happened that day in the post. As they snacked on the treats Remus' mum had packed for him, he filled them in on seeing Lindi and the things that had happened that day.

"So, Lucius Malfoy was hitting on her right in the middle of the Three Broomsticks, was he? What a bloody git!" said Sirius. "Last I heard he was dating my cousin, Narcissa. I'd say him cheating on _her_ was funny, except Lindi really doesn't want my cousins after her. Narcissa would be bad enough, but Bella is very protective of her little sister. Lindi'll understand why she needs Defense Against the Dark Arts if she gets either one of them after her," he added darkly.

Remus looked thoughtful for a moment and then told them all about Lindi spending her break with him and his mother.

"Well, you've already got the worst part over with…introducing her to your mum!" teased James.

"Why is Lindi so concerned about Darlene Wilkins?" asked Peter as he searched the basket Mrs. Lupin had packed with various sweets and biscuits.

"Well, they _are_ housemates and I've seen them together a fair bit. She obviously feels a sense of loyalty," said James. "Darlene is going to be a problem for Evans on her mission. I can already tell."

Remus smirked and then told them about the train ride home.

"_Holy crap, Moony_!" shouted Sirius as the others guffawed. "You actually told your _mum_ you've been randy since before you were thirteen?"

"And that you're snogging! Are you _daft_?" gasped James through fits of laughter.

"At least you were smart enough to tell her you weren't _shagging_ anyone," offered Peter helpfully, even if he _was_ laughing as hard as the others.

"Only because he _isn't_!" cried Sirius, rolling his eyes wildly. "Bloody hell, Moony!"

The rest of the trip was passed with many laughs at Remus' expense, but he didn't mind; he was just happy to be back with his friends again. Besides, looking back, it _had_ been rather funny even though, at the time he had wanted to crawl under a rock and die. After hearing more about Sirius' estrangement from _his_ family, Remus considered himself incredibly lucky to have a mum who cared enough to embarrass him silly.

He made a couple of patrols through the corridors to fulfill his prefect duties, but spent the remainder of the trip enjoying the time catching up with his friends. Finally the train began to slow and pulled into the Hogsmeade station. As it came to a halt, Remus looked out the window onto the dimly lit platform. Lindi was there waiting. She was talking with Hagrid who would be escorting the first years, as usual. She was already dressed in her school robes and looked lovelier than ever, bathed in the light of Hagrid's glowing lantern.

The Marauders disembarked the train and Remus saw Lindi walk over amidst the hubbub and greet several of her fellow Ravenclaws, her friend Leanna and…_Darlene Wilkins_ among them. The girls hugged and talked vivaciously as they headed off towards the waiting carriages.

"Yep, Wilkins could definitely be a problem," Sirius mused. "Want us to vanish her for you, Moony?"

"Let's give Evans a chance first, Padfoot," said James. Remus simply rolled his eyes and tugged his trunk off of the platform.

---------------------------------------------

As the carriages approached the gateway into the Hogwarts grounds, Remus noticed a large banner suspended across the entrance. It was held in the mouths of the winged boars which sat on the large stone columns flanking the massive gate.

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

**at least CMLXXVI-MCMLXXVI**

( at least 976A.D.-1976A.D.)

**_ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION_**

**_Filling the heads of the young and old with more interesting stuff than dead flies and bits of fluff for more than 1000 years._**

"Oh, _marvelous_," drawled Sirius. "That doesn't bode well."

"What do you mean?" asked Remus. "I think it's rather exciting to experience such a historic anniversary."

"You would look at it that way, Moony," said Sirius. "But you realize what something like this means, don't you?" Remus, James and Peter looked at him blankly. "It means we are going to be bombarded with all kinds of ceremonial _crap_…who knows what kind of pompous rubbish we're going to have to put up with?"

-----------------------------------------------

Before the Start of Term Feast, Professor Dumbledore made his usual welcome and announcements speech after the Sorting of the first years.

"I am sad to announce the retirement of our faithful caretaker, Mr. Pringle who has left us to concentrate on his niffler scavenging venture. Of course, Mr. Pringle does not leave us ill prepared. He has assured me that his assistant, Mr. Filch is ready and eager to assume the role of caretaker to the school. Congratulations, Mr. Filch." The lukewarm applause that greeted this news died quickly. Mr. Filch had not endeared himself to the students since his arrival in the Marauder's first year.

The routine announcements continued and normally the student's stomachs would be making them anxious for the start of the feast. This year, however, no one seemed distracted from the Headmaster's words. There was an air of excitement even beyond the norm for start of term. No doubt everyone was anxious to learn what sort of celebration might be planned for an occasion as momentous as a 1000 year anniversary. Professor Dumbledore continued.

"Finally, as I'm sure you all have noticed by now, we will be marking the 1000th Anniversary of the founding of Hogwarts this year. Now, all of you, with the exception of our new first years of course," Dumbledore smiled graciously, "are aware that the exact date of the founding is unknown. I'm sure you all know this from Professor Binns' excellent instruction in History of Magic. However, from all available resources, and the earliest dated documentation, historians have estimated the year 976 A.D. to be the _probable_ founding date. That is good enough for me, as I do _so_ enjoy a good excuse to celebrate!" He paused to allow the snickering and giggling to subside. "Besides, we can all use a bit of fun in these increasingly troubled times."

Remus considered the number of disturbing reports that had been in the paper lately. Prejudices that were normally kept hidden by most people, though families like Sirius' didn't bother, were rapidly bubbling to the surface. It wasn't just a matter of blood status, either…tensions seemed to be rising between the different species. After studying the goblin rebellions, Remus really hoped things didn't continue to escalate. He didn't want to have to live through anything like that.

"Therefore, there will be a number of festivities to look forward to this year," continued Professor Dumbledore cheerfully. A burst of cheering erupted from the students.

"See…what did I tell you?" asked Sirius as the initial roar of applause died down.

"Festivities don't sound bad," said James, optimistically.

"These events will have a central theme of school unity," continued Professor Dumbledore. "While the Four Founders were very unique, with differing views on many things, they came together to create _one _school. Over the years, through various conflicts, this has remained the strength of Hogwarts. You are all divided into houses based on your unique gifts, and House loyalty is very important, yet we mustn't forget that our four houses make up a _whole_…and it is important to preserve the unity of Hogwarts. A wise Muggle once said, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand.' Hogwarts has stood for a thousand years. Let us hope she sees a thousand more…"

Remus felt a chill crawling up his spine. While the Headmaster's tone was light and festive, his words seemed ominous. _Are things worse than the Prophet is letting on? Does Professor Dumbledore know something the rest of us don't?_

"In that spirit, we will have a number of school wide functions designed to facilitate inter-house unity. For example, we will be holding competitions and small tournaments in various things from broom racing to Potions brewing, _but_ the teams shall not be house teams. Rather, they will be made up of students from all houses. You will get more information on that later." Professor Dumbledore held up his hand and a goblet appeared. He took a sip and set it on the podium in front of him. Remus became aware of his own thirst and a rumble in his stomach reminded him that they still hadn't had their feast yet. This was definitely the longest welcome speech he had experienced. But it seemed there was more.

"There are a couple of events scheduled that will require some prior planning and preparation. This years Halloween feast, for instance, shall include a masquerade party…" Dumbledore paused to allow the shouts of approval to cease. "The rules governing your choice of costume are this…each of you will come dressed as a Hogwarts alumnus…from a house _other than your own_. It can be anyone of your choosing, the famous, infamous or humble servant. I tell you now so you have time to research the many interesting witches and wizards from each house. The library has an excellent set of House Registries I would suggest you start with. In addition, the week prior to the party, you will submit a report on this person to your Head of House…" A bit of grumbling could be heard from the students. The Headmaster pursed his lips mockingly. "Now, now, _this is a school_ you know. It won't hurt you to learn something while you are here. Last, but certainly not least, there will be a formal affair, for all students in fourth year and up." Dumbledore paused when murmuring rose up from the students, some excited and some not so.

"What'd I tell you?" groaned Sirius. "A _formal affair_…that's just another term for pompous ceremonial crap!"

"A ball will be held…" Dumbledore paused again and smiled patiently. A riot of squealing and giggling had erupted from the girls. Now Remus understood why dress robes had been part of his supply list. "…the ball will be held on the last day of term before the Christmas holidays. Professor Flitwick will be coordinating the festivities and will hold a planning committee meeting. He will post a notice for time and place. I would like very much to see a good representation from each house at the meeting. Anyone in fourth year or higher who would be interested in helping plan for the event may attend. This should be a truly marvelous evening and I encourage all to participate _fully_…that means _dancing_…" A loud groan escaped from the boys. Dumbledore smirked mischievously. "…And remember to plan ahead. The early bird gets the worm, you know. But, don't pluck it from the ground too early or it might end up shriveled and tough by the night of the ball. Life and love are always a gamble, and in that, we find the excitement. So now, without further ado, let the feast begin!"

With a wave of his hands, the tables were filled with the magnificent feast. In spite of the appearance of their food, many of the students looked around seeming somewhat befuddled. The Marauders had often joked that Dumbledore's speeches were actually disguised confundus charms.

"Why is he rattling on about shriveled up worms right before the feast?" asked Peter, scrunching up his nose in distaste.

"I think he means you shouldn't ask Marci Hopkins to the ball just yet," said Remus as he passed a basket of dinner rolls to Sirius.

"Why not? I might as well ask her while she's likely to say yes," said Peter.

"Exactly, if you ask her now, a lot could happen before the ball, Peter. What if you think she's a dried up old worm by then, but you're stuck with her?" asked James as he shoveled gravy into the crater of a massive mound of mashed potatoes. "It's best to wait until two or three weeks beforehand, at most."

"Gives you a good three months or more to work on Evans then, eh, Prongs?" asked Sirius. James looked around furtively to make sure Lily wasn't within earshot and then grinned.

"If she's lucky," he said haughtily. James might have been trying to play things cool regarding Lily, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

Remus glanced over at the Ravenclaw table. Lindi was smiling at something and he imagined her smiling at him that way when he asked her to the ball. _Right, Remus, you are going to take Lindi to the ball…keep dreaming. James has a better chance of taking Lily!_ But somehow, he just couldn't convince himself that it was truly hopeless. After all, he _did _think James and Lily would end up in that broom cupboard eventually… assuming she didn't kill him first.

center /center

The next morning, the Marauders stopped outside the Great Hall and checked the bulletin board for start of term announcements. There was one for Quidditch tryouts, one announcing the first Charm Club meeting and one for Dueling Club tryouts. Remus read the last one more closely.

_Dueling Club Tryouts will be Saturday, September 4th, at 3:00pm_

_in the second floor auditorium._

_Open to all second years and up._

_Team Leaders meet at 2:30pm._

_This years Team Leaders are:_

_Felicia Dagget_

_Jeffrey Daniels_

_Remus Lupin_

_Blain Maloney_

_Julian Avery_

"Congratulations, Moony. I guess Evans called it," said Sirius.

"I wonder if Dellington still has to join," said Peter, echoing Remus' own thoughts.

After their conversation in the Three Broomsticks, Remus wondered if Lindi would actually consider being on his team. He thought about her alternatives: he didn't think she would be likely to join Dagget's since Felicia was the _nightmare of a girl_ who had cast the _Serpentsortia,_ causing Lindi to panic during her DADA O.W.L. Daniels was Lindi's Quidditch Captain and depending on how they got along, she might not want to be on two teams run by the same person. Remus desperately hoped she wouldn't, but this was definitely a concern. Maloney was a seventh year Hufflepuff Remus knew little about, but he had been one of the boys harassing Lindi after her little _table dance_ incident, last year. Finally, Julian Avery, another Slytherin, but seventh year, was a bit of a nasty git, in Remus' opinion. Of course, if Lindi still thought Remus was a _lecherous cad_, she might just prefer to be on one of the other teams. But Remus felt certain Lily Evans would do her best to make sure Lindi picked his. He would just have to wait until Saturday to find out.

---------------------------------------

As usual, the first week was a flurry of activity: working out schedules, catching up with friends, and settling into another school year. On Wednesday morning, they had finished breakfast and were gathered in the common room until time for their first class of the day, Astronomy. According to Remus' schedule, they would have the class with Ravenclaw. Of course, this being N.E.W.T. level, only those students with the O.W.L. scores needed and the desire to continue in each subject would be enrolled. He thought Lindi would surely have scored well on the Astronomy O.W.L. but as it was not a requirement for healer training, she might not have chosen to continue studying the stars.

As he sat hoping she would, the door opened from the girls' dormitory and Lily walked through with two of her roommates. Her book bag looked over stuffed as she gripped it tightly and it seemed to be pulling her slightly off balance. Remus noticed James ruffle his hair and grab his own book bag as if he had been planning to leave that very moment.

"Alright, Evans?" James called.

"Hello, Potter," she said dryly.

"Are you planning to stay awhile?" he asked indicating the heavy bag.

"What…Oh, I have some books to return to Professor Slughorn. He let me borrow some to read over the summer." Lily jerked the bag up to improve her grip.

"Here, I'd be glad to carry that for you," James offered.

She smirked incredulously. "I think I can manage." And she walked towards the door. As she reached for the handle, she turned back and Remus thought there was a tiny hint of a smile fighting to appear at the corners of her mouth. "But, thanks, anyway." It was hard to say if there was any sarcasm in her tone or not, which was a good sign since Lily's sarcasm was usually bitingly obvious.

"You are pathetic, Prongs," said Sirius once the girls were gone.

"Completely devoid of shame," added Remus with a sympathetic smile. James had obviously abandoned his short-lived attempt at playing things cool.

James shrugged and followed the girls out into the corridor. Remus and the others joined him. They arrived at the Astronomy classroom early and took seats near Lily and her friends. When a couple of Ravenclaw girls sat at the front of the class, Lily straightened in her seat and looked around. Her face seemed to brighten and Remus could see the wheels spinning in her head. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, but he had the feeling it had something to do with her _mission_. It made him a bit nervous and he proceeded to rifle through his bag, pulling out star charts and his quill.

"Hiya, Remus, how are you?" Lily asked.

"Pretty well, thanks, you?"

"Doing well, too, thanks. Looks like we have Astronomy with Ravenclaw, isn't that nice?" Lily said, smiling brightly. "I wonder who all will be in the class?"

He smiled back and shrugged his shoulders. James, Sirius, and Peter sniggered and Remus felt his face start to go red. Lily was normally so…clever. But, she really seemed to be quite clumsy at the whole matchmaking venture. Of course, it might just seem that way to them since they had overheard her talking about getting Remus and Lindi together. That must be it; if they hadn't known what Lily was up to, they probably wouldn't have given her statement a second thought. She gave no notice to the three sniggering boys and must have assumed they were laughing at something other than her.

"Do you really like astronomy, Remus, or are you just taking it to fill a requirement?" she asked.

"I enjoy it, you?"

"Love it…I especially like the practical, don't you?" she continued enthusiastically.

"It can be fun," he said a little warily.

"I just love being out there in the dark, gazing up at the stars. It's very romantic, don't you think?" she asked dreamily.

Remus blinked, trying not to look as awkward as he felt. If he didn't know about her mission, he would have sworn Lily was flirting with him.

"I think it's romantic, Evans," said James huskily. "Want to partner me?"

"Maybe someday, Potter," she said evenly.

That made James blink. "What? Well, _when_?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe on the next Blue Moon or when your head shrinks to at least the size of a super nova, whichever comes first," Lily said, but without the hostility she had expressed at the end of their fifth year. It seemed that the months away had softened her _slightly_ towards James.

_Now, if he could just control himself…_ thought Remus.

"Well, at least I know I have a chance." James grinned at her. "When is the next blue moon, anyway?" he asked as he opened his Astronomy text and started searching dramatically. Lily shook her head with an exasperated smile. Suddenly, she started waving her arm.

"Lindi! Over hear," she called.

Lindi smiled and waved back. She started across the room towards Lily followed by her friend Leanna. Sirius stretched over his desk and tapped Remus to get his attention while James leaned in to listen.

"This could be a fun class after all," Sirius said quietly, waggling his brows. But at the look on Peter's face, they turned and saw Darlene walking in with her friend, Constance. The girls looked around and followed Lindi and Leanna across the room. "Or maybe not," said Sirius cynically.

Remus felt a jolt of bitter disappointment. While Lindi was going to be seated in a perfect location to give him an unobstructed view of her amazing profile, he would not be able to enjoy it without constantly being reminded of his unfortunate lapse in judgment in snogging Darlene. Darlene was taking the seat just in front of Lindi and would always be the backdrop he would see. He should have realized Darlene would be in the class. One of the few things Remus had learned about her was her infatuation with subjects dealing with predicting the future, particularly Astronomy and Divination. While he enjoyed studying the constellations and plotting star tracks, he didn't place a lot of stock in their usefulness for determining one's fate, and Divination was…well, it was just a bit of a waste for all but the very rare true seers. Even then, you couldn't really _learn _it, you just had the gift. His thoughts were interrupted when Lindi finished laying out her charts and turned to Lily.

"So, how was your summer?" Lindi asked.

"Pretty good, my sister was a pain in my, er, _neck_ and she's dating a total berk, but it was good to see some of my old mates and Mum and Dad, of course," said Lily brightly. "How about yours?"

"Long, I thought it would never end," Lindi said heavily.

"You sound disappointed. I thought you were dreading this year? I believe your exact words were '_if I'm lucky this summer will never end'_." Lily said looking at Lindi quizzically.

"Well, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for," Lindi said with a small smile.

"Alright, everyone settle down and take out star chart #8 please," said Professor Galileo.

-----------------------------------

When the bell rang, Lily picked up her conversation with Lindi as if it hadn't been interrupted. "So, what was so bad about your summer? I heard you worked at the Three Broomsticks. That sounds like fun."

"Sure, if putting up with plastered berks trying to grope you is your idea of fun," said Lindi, as she and Lily followed their friends towards the door.

"Hey, Dellington!" called Sirius.

Lindi spun around and sighed rather testily. "Black, please don't start. I'm in no mood for it." Remus had never seen her act more irritated.

"Sorry," said Sirius. "It's just that you dropped your wand." He held up the wand and waved it innocently.

Lindi bit her lower lip and looked terribly chagrined. "I am _so_ sorry. I just thought you were…well, I …er, thank you, I'll probably need that," she said awkwardly and took her wand.

She turned and made an embarrassed face at Lily and the two girls continued out the door with the Marauders in their wake.

"You must have put up with a lot of crap at the pub," said Lily. "It really has you on edge with men, doesn't' it?"

Lindi shrugged and gave a beleaguered smile.

"Well, I told you," Lily continued quietly. "What you need is a _nice_ boy…"

"No, Lily, please!" Lindi practically begged. "Please don't try to fix me up with anyone. I have spent the last two months putting up with men's advances. If a boy so much as looks at me funny, I'm liable to bite his head off. I don't care if he's Prince Charming himself, alright?"

"Alright, alright, but what about the ball?" asked Lily hopefully.

"That's a few months off. Maybe by then I'll be ready for your help." Lindi smiled as they reached an intersection in the hallway. "I'll see you later."

Lindi went one way and caught up with her fellow Ravenclaws while Lily walked ahead of the Marauders to catch her own friends. The boys headed towards their next class.

"I think Dellington really means it," said James. "I thought she was going to hex you, Padfoot."

"Yeah, me, too," agreed Remus. Though he couldn't help but notice Lindi hadn't _completely_ refused Lily's offer to help her with a date for the ball.

"Of course, she probably would have missed," said Peter, causing Sirius to chuckle.

"At any rate, you better move slowly, Moony," teased James. "Take it nice and easy," he added, waggling his brows.

"As opposed to his usual highly aggressive tactics," added Sirius, the sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

"Yes," said Remus evenly. "I was planning to drag her to the broom cupboard by her ankles." They all laughed. "I'll try to refrain for a while."

-------------------------------------

That afternoon, they were treated to a session of Double Potions. Professor Slughorn was very strict about allowing only those students who managed an E on their O.W.L. to participate in his N.E.W.T. level classes. For this reason, there was only one sixth year class in which students from all houses were enrolled. This was also the reason Peter was not with them. Remus knew Peter had been relieved when he didn't have to register for the class and, to be honest, it would have almost been a relief to Remus, as well. Still, he knew the class would be helpful when the time came to start looking for employment, even if he had barely scratched out the E on his own O.W.L. by pure luck. He was glad he had Lily sitting beside him; he was going to need all the help he could get. Of course, Remus would have loved to have Lindi next to him. The thought of him helping her with Defense and her helping him in Potions made his head a little light. He felt sure they would make a good team. But instead, he would have to watch as Lindi worked shoulder to shoulder with Severus Snape.

When they had all seen her walk to the front of the classroom and take the open seat next to Severus, James had immediately opened his mouth to comment, no doubt with great venom. But Lily had looked at him sternly and James had quickly reconsidered. Remus was hopeful that Lily's presence would help to temper the hostility between his friends and the Slytherin. It wasn't going to be easy on James. By the end of the class, he had practically chewed a hole in his tongue from all the biting he had to do whenever he heard Lindi laugh or saw Severus actually smile, something that was every bit as rare as it was sickening to the Marauders.

Finally, they were finished with classes for the day and headed back to the dormitory to meet Peter before going down for dinner. On the way, James let himself enjoy quite a tirade on the loathsome qualities of Severus Snape, goaded on by Sirius. Remus was relieved when they finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Abyssinian shrivelf…" said Remus. The password was interrupted when the portrait swung out and Professor McGonagall stepped through, startling them.

"Ah, Potter, Black, and Lupin, just the three I'm looking for. Professor Dumbledore has something to discuss with you. Be at his office at seven this evening." She paused, looking at them over her glasses. "Don't look so nervous. You aren't being summoned for punishment. Although, from the looks on your faces, you probably should be," she added with a smirk and walked away.

When they got to the room, Peter wasn't there, so they put their things away and sat on their beds to wait.

"You don't suppose Dumbledore knows about the Marauders, do you?" asked Remus anxiously. Second only to the full moon making him kill or turn someone, the thought of his friends getting into trouble for being unregistered Animagi was Remus' worst fear.

"Nah," Sirius said confidently. "You heard McGonagall, she was looking for the _three_ of us. That didn't include Wormtail. Plus, if Dumbledore knew about the Marauders, he wouldn't wait until seven."

"And that meeting would definitely include punishment," added James.

Before they could continue speculating on the reason for the summons, the door opened and Peter stepped in.

"So, how is Divination, Wormtail?" asked Sirius.

"Not bad, really," Peter answered. "It'll be a lot more fun than Potions. Marci and I had a great time reading each other's palms. You have to love a class where you can fake it and actually get away with it…at least for a while."

----------------------------------------------

They left Peter in the common room that evening looking dejected. They wanted to explain why he hadn't been _invited_ to the Headmasters' office, but as they didn't know themselves, they had no explanation for it. They assured him they would tell him everything when they returned. They tried not to act overly excited about it even though, if the others felt the way Remus did, they were ready to burst with intrigue.

They arrived at the entrance to the office a few minutes before seven and Professor McGonagall was there waiting. She spoke the password, "Exploding bon-bons," to gain them entrance and directed them up the spiral stairs. Remus had not been in the Headmaster's office since his first year, when he had been given the instructions for his transformations.

When they entered the office, they were even more intrigued to find other students waiting in the room. At a glance, Remus noted that there were several sixth and seventh years present. Lily was there and waved them over to sit next to her on a large couch. Remus followed Sirius and James to the couch and sat down. As he glanced around at the others, he noticed the seventh years seemed quite at ease, as though they were privy to what was going on. He recognized them all, though he did not know some well. He did, however, know enough about two of the other sixth years in the group: Felicia Dagget, of Slytherin and Severus Snape. Before he had time to consider the dynamics of the group Professor Dumbledore had assembled, the clock struck seven and the professor was suddenly walking into the center of the room.

"Good evening. Thank you all for being so prompt," he said, as if anyone would dare to be late for a summons to the Headmaster's office. "I know you all have homework to attend to, so I will get right to the point. A few years ago, I decided it would be beneficial to take students with certain _abilities_ and give them the opportunity to study the arts of Legilimency and Occlumency. You are all here because of your outstanding marks on your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s and the personal recommendation of your Heads of House." The sixth year students looked around excitedly. "Some of you may be aware of this branch of magic. It deals with control of the mind. Legilimency is the art of penetrating the mind of another to gain information, while Occlumency is the discipline to close your own mind to others in order to deny them access. These are rather rare and advanced branches of magic. The practice of Legilimency against underage witches or wizards is also _highly_ restricted. Its use against anyone at Hogwarts without proper authorization is a serious infraction. Using it improperly can earn you a very rapid expulsion. Not to mention, it is an _unacceptable_ invasion of privacy. You will practice only on each other and only with prior consent. Also, I prefer that you keep these lessons private. Anyone who asks can be told you are attending seminars on Advanced Defensive Arts by invitation only. Are there any questions?" he asked as he looked around the room pleasantly.

Remus felt a wave of excitement rolling in his stomach. He vaguely remembered Phil Michaelson, one of the seventh years present, telling them he had been invited to attend a seminar last year. Michaelson looked at the three Marauders and smiled conspiratorially.

"Who will be teaching the class, Professor?" asked Lily.

"This is a special treat I reserve for myself, Miss Evans," he replied mildly.

The sixth years looked around in amazement. Dumbledore smiled.

"When will the _seminars_ be held?" asked Dagget.

"They will be scheduled at my discretion. They will begin near the first of October and will occur once every week or so. Anything else?"

Sirius, James, and Remus looked at one another with trepidation. While they were obviously thrilled with the prospect at hand, they did have some rather big secrets to keep.

"Professor, when you are instructing us, will you actually be…er…seeing our thoughts and memories?" asked Remus hesitantly.

"Don't have something to hide do you, Lupin?" asked seventh year Hufflepuff, Benjy Fenwick, jovially.

Professor Dumbledore looked at Remus with understanding and smiled reassuringly. "We all have something to hide Mr. Fenwick. Don't worry, Remus," he said mildly. "You will all be given the opportunity to empty your minds of any information you wish to keep private. I will provide a pensieve for your use. This class is not a means to gain access to the intimate details of your lives. Quite frankly, the prospect is too frightening for a man of my age." The students chuckled quietly. "Anything else? Well, if you think of any other questions, the seventh years should be able to answer them, so, you may go. Have a good evening."

As they made their way down the spiral staircase, they listened to Emmeline Vance and Caradoc Dearborn, another seventh year Ravenclaw, go on about how brilliant Dumbledore was and how absolutely fabulous the lessons were.

By the time the three Marauders and Lily arrived back at the common room, they had worked themselves into a near frenzy of anticipation. Peter was waiting for them, eager to hear all about their evening. Lily looked at them pointedly before wishing them a good night and heading up the stairs to the girls' dorm. When the Marauders got to their own room, they told Peter everything. At the look of abject devastation on his face, they assured him they would teach him everything they learned. It wasn't the same as having private lessons with Albus Dumbledore, but at least he wouldn't be left out completely. Then, they threatened to feed him to Moony if he breathed a word to another living soul.

"You know I wouldn't," Peter said, looking affronted.

And with that, they spent the rest of the evening discussing which memories they should hide in Dumbledore's pensieve and whether it would be large enough.


	17. Chapter 17

**Lindi's Problem **

**Summary_: Remus thinks he might have figured out what is behind Lindi's problem with Defense. When he confronts her about it, he finds out even more. _**

Another week was gone in a flash, and the Marauders spent Saturday morning sleeping-in after a late night roaming the Forbidden Forest. It had been a particularly productive exploration, and they were able to add a few new things to the Marauder's Map. For one, they had obviously come very close to an area inhabited by Centaurs, as they discovered when a young male named Firenze had appeared. He had warned them that they would not be welcome and to steer clear of that area. When they thanked him and assured him they would heed his warning, Firenze had looked at them skeptically, as if he could tell a warning to stay away would only serve to draw the Marauders further in. But they had gone on in another direction, to appease the Centaur, and come across a rather magnificent place they had dubbed the Crystal Cove. They immediately plotted it on the map. Each of the boys felt this place could come in quite handy some lovely evening.

When Remus awoke to the sound of Peter rummaging through his trunk, he was pretty sure he had just been dreaming of sitting at the edge of the cove, a girl cuddled up next to him. He hadn't seen her face, but he could almost feel the softness of her long dark hair still brushing his cheek. He felt like a flock of butterflies had just lifted off in his stomach when he remembered Dueling Club tryouts were a few hours away and he would finally find out if Lindi would actually be on his team. That would be such a wonderful opportunity to get to know her better, and for her to get to know _him_. . . and realize he wasn't a cad.

The day seemed to drag, but finally, at a quarter after two, he headed down to the second floor conference room for his first meeting as team leader. He was excited about this year for more than one reason; he knew he would be heading up as good a team as had been assembled at Hogwarts in quite some time. With James and Sirius…and himself, he admitted, they would be hard to beat. Add in Lily Evans, and they had a foursome to dream about. Of course, he worried that not all of his team would be as welcoming to Lindi, since she would, in all honesty, lower their overall score. Remus rounded the corner and saw her sitting on the floor in the corridor, her head resting on her knees which were drawn up protectively. Seeing her looking so vulnerable, he decided that his team would have to get over it.

"Hello, Lindi, coming out for Dueling Club?" he asked lightly.

"Yeah, funny, huh?" she answered. She sounded as though she didn't find anything funny about it.

Before he could respond, the other team leaders arrived and they all went in for the meeting, leaving Lindi alone, once again. Professor Adamson, the club sponsor, was already inside waiting, and the meeting got underway. After announcing the rules for tryouts and going over some new regulations for dueling meets, Adamson finally came to the topic of Lindi.

"Did you happen to notice Miss Dellington sitting in the corridor?" he asked.

"Who could miss her?" asked Avery and he made a rather lascivious noise. Daniels and Maloney sniggered. Felicia Dagget sneered at the boys, or was it directed at Lindi? Remus wasn't quite sure.

"Yes," Adamson smiled. "Well, Miss Dellington has been instructed to join the Dueling Club by Headmaster Dumbledore. That means, she will not undergo tryouts and will simply be assigned to one of your teams. Before you jump to volunteer…" Adamson cut off the comments he seemed to know were coming. "You may or may not know that Miss Dellington is an abysmal_ disaster_ at dueling. She wouldn't be able to hex any of you from a foot away if you were tied to a stump." The others snickered and Remus couldn't help but smile at the image of Lindi hexing someone tied to a stump, but he didn't like Adamson's tone.

"So, do we draw lots to see who gets stuck with her?" asked Felicia.

"Well, that is what you have to decide," said Adamson. "She will certainly _not_ be an asset to your team, and I assure you, you will have your work cut out for you. She will require a good deal of special attention."

"I'll show her some _special_ attention," mumbled Avery. "But I don't want her dragging my team down."

Remus felt his jaw clench; he had had enough of the insinuations and insults directed at her. "Professor, she can be on my team if she wants," he said firmly.

Adamson looked at him with the faintest hint of a smile, and Remus knew what he was thinking. He had just volunteered to be her _champion_…again.

"Actually, Lupin, Professor Dumbledore suggested I assign her to your team. He seems to think you have the proper _temperament _to deal with her," Adamson smirked. "In fairness to your team, however, she is not _technically_ a member. She will not take an official slot nor will her scores count against you. But don't tell her that; she is not to know. Do I make myself clear? Maybe she'll try harder if she thinks her team will curse her."

"Yes, Professor," answered Remus, grinning. He felt like he had just won the lottery. He got to have Lindi on his team without having to take her scores. Could life get any better?

"Well, now that we have that settled, tryouts will be starting in a few minutes. Lupin, come with me." Adamson led him to the door and called Lindi in. She looked around nervously. "Miss Dellington, I believe you know Mr. Lupin." She nodded but said nothing. Her dislike for the professor was quite evident. "He has been kind enough to agree to take you on his team. _Try_ to do what he tells you." Adamson was being very condescending, and her look of loathing intensified as the professor walked away.

Lindi watched him angrily as he went back to the front of the room and joined the team leaders at the judging table. Finally, she looked up at Remus.

"So, you drew the short straw, did you?" she asked glumly.

"Nah." Remus started to tell her he had volunteered but thought better of it. He really didn't want her getting angry and telling him she could take care of herself again. "Professor Adamson assigned you to my team, that's all."

"Hmm...he holds a grudge then, doesn't he? I guess he's making you pay for spouting off in class that time," she said and looked at the ground. "I owe you an apology for the way I reacted to that, by the way. I…"

"No, it's alright. He's the one who owes an apology, though you're not likely to get it."

"Actually, I already did. I suppose I have you to thank for that as well?" Lindi asked quietly.

"I don't know what you mean," Remus said.

"Headmaster Dumbledore made Adamson apologize to me for his behavior. Someone reported it, and I just assumed it was you," said Lindi.

"No, I wish I could say it was, but it wasn't. I…"

"Didn't want me to ream you out again?" Lindi said as her cheeks colored. "I certainly don't blame you. But I wish I knew who it was."

"So do I," said Remus, thoughtfully. "I bet it was Lily."

"No, I asked her and she said it was probably you." Lindi looked at him in confusion.

"Well, there were a lot of people in class that day. I'm just glad _someone_ had the courage to do it." Remus smiled. He really wished it had been him and was very curious to know who it had been.

"Well, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, anyway, and I'm sorry you're stuck with me in Dueling Club." Lindi seemed so miserable when she looked up at him; he wanted desperately to make her feel better.

"I'm not. I love a challenge," he said cheerfully, hoping to lighten her mood.

"G_reat_," she groaned. "Well, I guess that's better than saying, _hey,_ _I'm a masochist and you're my torture_."

"Oh, come on! This is going to be fun," he said, laughing. Besides, Remus didn't see how being with her could ever be torture, as she finally smiled a tiny smile.

"Right." Lindi didn't sound at all convinced that there could be anything fun about it, but she _did_ seem a little less miserable.

Remus could have stayed there talking to her all day, but students were starting to show up for tryouts and he needed to help judge. So he told her their first practice would be the following Thursday at four and joined the other team leaders at the judging table, feeling quite elated.

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After tryouts were over, Remus went to the Great Hall to grab a bite of dinner. He found his friends still there, waiting for him. He told them all about the new teams and, of course, about Lindi.

"Ohhh!" growled Sirius. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"No stripping spells, remember, Padfoot," joked James.

"That's right, Sirius," Remus said fervently, though he could barely hold a straight face when he thought back to their fourth year.

Sirius had been thrown in detention for an entire week for vanishing the shirt off of a seventh year Slytherin during a dueling meet. The girl hadn't exactly been following proper dueling etiquette and Sirius had finally decided to play dirty as well. Even though he had been provoked, and he had even left the girl's undergarment on, Sirius had lost their team first place. In addition, he had lost Gryffindor fifty points, been reprimanded _soundly_ by Professor McGonagall and sent to the Headmaster's office. While there, he had been forced to endure Dumbledore's disappointed gaze, for what seemed at least half an hour, according to Sirius. But, finally, he had been congratulated on mastering the very difficult _Evanesco_, since vanishing spells weren't even taught until fifth year.

That had been one of Sirius' more _expensive_ transgressions and while the girls on his team had not spoken to him for days, he had been congratulated profusely by the other boys. The girl in question had been a very well endowed seventh year. While the memory of it made him laugh, Remus hoped that Sirius would be able to exercise more control over his temper now that they were sixth years.

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They returned to the common room after dinner, and found Lily there, waiting for some friends.

"How were tryouts, Remus?" she asked.

"They went really well. This should be a good year. I'm assuming you _will_ be on my team," he said enthusiastically.

"Of course! Did Lindi Dellington happen to tryout?" she asked offhandedly.

"No, she didn't _tryout,_" he said and Lily's face dropped. "The Headmaster is making her join so Professor Adamson just assigned her to a team. She'll be on ours."

"That's _perfect_!" Lily squealed, and then regained her composure. "I mean, she really could use some help, couldn't she? I know she was worried about getting someone like Dagget. She must be so relieved now that she has someone really _nice_ to coach her." Lily smiled brightly. Remus saw a very distinct twinkle in her eye and smiled back as the butterflies did loops in his stomach.

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By the end of their first Dueling Club practice on Thursday, Remus realized Lindi was indeed going to be a challenge. She seemed petrified at the mere thought of dueling. He thought briefly about telling her she didn't actually have to compete. But he decided, for now, that it _did_ serve as incentive for her to work harder if she didn't know.

For reasons beyond Remus' imagination, Lindi seemed incapable of casting a single spell he suggested. It wasn't that she couldn't pronounce the incantation and her wand motions were alright, though a bit stiff. Still, the spells were either completely off target or altogether nonexistent. He had quite a mystery on his hands. If he hadn't known she was actually quite good at Charms and Transfiguration, he would have thought she was a squib, a very beautiful squib.

As the next couple of weeks passed, Remus was delighted to find that he and Lindi were getting along well, despite what had happened at the Three Broomsticks. His calm and unassuming demeanor seemed to relax her and he found that, while she didn't seem to be making any real progress, she didn't seem petrified anymore. She actually even smiled at him a couple of times and he found himself thinking about her more than ever. Even though he had liked what he knew of her before, he realized now that his attraction had been largely physical. But the more he knew about Lindi, the more he _really_ liked her. He had to fight the temptation to neglect the rest of his team so that he could spend as much time with her as possible. Even more pleasing was the realization that Lindi seemed to enjoy _his_ company, as well.

By the time October arrived, they had developed a very friendly rapport. Their _relationship_ was being helped along by Lily, who took every opportunity to bring them together. As he and his friends straightened the conference room after practice one day, Remus thought that things were going quite well with Lindi…if only she were making progress in Defense.

Then, on the first Monday in October, something happened that gave Remus an idea. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were in Advanced Herbology together and they were to harvest a crop of Mandrake root for Professor Bottanie. Lindi was sitting in her usual spot at the next table with her friends Leanna and, unfortunately, Darlene Wilkins. It seemed that James and Sirius were right about Darlene being a problem. Remus had already noticed that Lindi wasn't nearly as friendly towards him when Darlene was around. He found it very annoying; especially since he blamed himself.

As he gave himself a mental lashing for snogging a girl he didn't even know, much less like, Professor Bottanie entered the greenhouse. He was a good-natured, stout man with the ruddy complexion of one who spends a lot of time outdoors.

"As you all know, the cry of the adult Mandrake is deadly," he said jovially. "Therefore, make sure your earmuffs fit tightly. We don't want to take any chances that one of you might lose them in a struggle. This seems to be a particularly vigorous crop…must be the mooncalf dung…Anyway, listen up. We will be harvesting the woody stalk for our Potions' stores and the green leaves for a lovely tea. It has a nice pick me up to it," he added merrily. "Cut only the large outer leaves and be careful to take only the woody outer third of the stalk, otherwise the root will be damaged and the whole plant will die. I don't want to have to start a new crop until the spring. If you slice it in quarter inch strips, you shouldn't have any trouble telling when you are too close to the soft tissue of the root. I shall demonstrate before you start. Any questions?" He looked around briefly. "No? Good, then let's get started!"

Everyone put on their earmuffs. Professor Bottanie tugged forcefully at a Mandrake and it came, kicking and screaming, out of the soil. Many of the students grimaced at the ugly face looking back at them. In their third year, they had helped repot a crop of young Mandrake and while still ugly, they had looked more like wrinkled, bawling babies than the shriveled thing struggling in the professor's grasp. It looked like a large-faced, angry old crone with a tiny little body and wrinkled red skin that was screaming as if it were furious at being exposed in its hideous form. It kicked out with its roots and the leaves flapped about angrily at the professor until he had secured it to the table with wide leather straps. The class watched as he began shaving thin slivers from the plant. Remus looked over at Lindi and noticed she had gone pale and looked rather faint. He wondered if she was afraid of Mandragora as well as snakes.

After the demonstration, they each went to their places and proceeded to pull out their own Mandrake to begin the harvest. When his was finally secure, Remus glanced over to see how Lindi was doing. She had just gotten the Mandrake secured and was looking at it in abject horror when Professor Bottanie stepped between them to check Peter's progress, blocking Remus' view. Remus proceeded with his own harvest. After a few minutes, he took another discreet glance and noticed Lindi still hadn't even started. She stood staring at the writhing plant in front of her and he thought she looked like she might be on the verge of tears. The next thing he knew, she was running from the greenhouse with her hand clasped over her mouth. Suddenly, a light came on in his head and he thought he might understand something about Lindi Dellington.

Remus spotted Lindi late that afternoon as he and his friends were sitting under their favorite tree, enjoying the bright autumn day. She was walking towards the Quidditch pitch with her broomstick in hand. He wondered briefly if she had Quidditch practice but decided from the look on her face, it was more likely going to be one of her mind clearing flights.

"So, Remus, when are you going to ask her out?" asked Peter. He had obviously noticed Remus watching her.

"Who says I'm going to, Peter?" Remus responded innocuously.

"Don't give us that rubbish, Moony," said Sirius. "We've noticed how _chummy_ you two have gotten."

"If you don't do it soon, Evans is going to ask her for you," added James wryly. "She's practically chomping at the bit every time she sees the two of you within twenty feet of each other."

"Have you noticed how she always partners Lindi and then somehow can't seem to remember how to do whatever we're supposed to be doing?" Sirius asked, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, _Reeemuss_!" cried James in a high pitched voice. "Can you please show us the wand motion for _Protego_?"

"As if Evans couldn't do that in her sleep!" quipped Sirius, snorting mockingly. "She is so bloody obvious!"

"You really need to hurry up and put Lily out of her misery," added Peter.

Remus thought about what they were saying. He had to admit, he had considered it. When they were in Dueling Club, he and Lindi got on so well, he could see himself asking her out. But then he would remember how aloof she became whenever Darlene was near and his hopes would be dashed. He felt that, at least for now, he would have to be satisfied with his role as her team leader, tutor, and developing friend. It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't really all _that _bad.

"Well, now that Lindi isn't petrified of Dueling Club, and I have an idea that might help her with her Defense, I don't think me asking her out is quite what she needs right now. I'm afraid it would just make her uncomfortable and put her back on the defensive, no pun intended," said Remus.

"So, you are going to let the fact that she's lousy at Defense stop you from possibly snogging the best looking girl you will _ever_ have a shot at?" Sirius asked, the exasperation evident in his voice.

"I don't see that I have that good a _shot_ at her at the moment, so it isn't worth the risk of running her off."

They started arguing all the reasons why Remus should ask her out, but agreed with him when he pointed out their own theory that Darlene Wilkins was a problem. They finally admitted he might be right about waiting to see how things went, for a while. James and Sirius did so grudgingly, as it wasn't in their nature to sit back and wait for anything. Finally, Remus saw Lindi coming out of the pitch.

"Here she comes. I need to talk to her about something. I'll see you later, alright?" Remus got up hastily and went to meet her. He didn't see his friends smiling at each other as he walked away.

Lindi paused and laid her broomstick on the grass so she could put on her school cloak. As he approached her, he took a deep breath. She looked fabulously windblown. Her face was flushed with color and she glistened in the rays of the setting sun. She had worked up a sweat and he watched a bead of moisture run down her neck and into the hint of cleavage peaking out from behind the now opened neck of her school robes. He swallowed hard and then jerked his eyes away and back to her face, hoping she hadn't noticed. Luckily, she hadn't noticed him at all, since she was busy unrolling the sleeve of her blouse.

"Hello, Lindi," he said and started to grin when she jumped at his voice. He thought it was funny that she was so easily startled.

"Oh! Hiya, Remus," she grinned back. She put her hand to her chest as if to still her heart. "You surprised me. I didn't see you coming."

"Sorry. Did you have a nice flight?"

"Aren't all flights nice?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"If you say so, but I'm afraid it's not really my strongest skill," he said with a shrug. "I'll be glad when spring comes and I can start apparating."

"Really?" she asked. "I can't imagine not loving to fly. Of course, you probably can't imagine not being able to cast a single hex, so who am I to question?"

He smiled at her. "Actually, that's what I want to talk to you about. Do you have a few minutes?"

Her smile faded and she looked concerned.

"Remus, I know it must be horribly frustrating trying to teach me, but if you don't, I'll have to go to one of the others. I know I'm hurting your team but …"

"Lindi, I'm not throwing you off my team," he said reassuringly.

She let out a huge sigh of relief and smiled weakly. "In that case, I'd love to talk."

He picked up her broom for her and led her off the path to an old wooden bench under a tree and wiped the fallen leaves from it. He motioned for her to sit and she gave him a rather funny look.

"Your mother would be proud," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked, completely unaware that he had done anything worthy of maternal pride.

"Never mind," she said softly. She looked at him as if seeing something that hadn't been there before and then looked away smiling bashfully. She took a seat and he sat down next to her.

Remus took a deep breath and reminded himself what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Lindi, I couldn't help noticing what happened in Herbology today. It made me think about your…erm…problem with hexing," he started right in. "Assuming I'm right about what happened, that is."

"You must think I'm such an idiot," she said quietly.

"No, of course I don't. But I would like to know what upset you. Why couldn't you harvest the Mandrake?" he asked gently.

"You'll think I'm ridiculous," she answered.

"Was it because they have faces?" he asked and smiled sweetly when she grimaced in embarrassment.

"It just kept looking at me, Remus, and I could tell it was screaming and…I just couldn't hurt it like that," she said.

"Lindi, its _vegetation_…a crop like pumpkins or potatoes." He noticed she looked incredulous and tried to think of a better comparison. "More like the Venus Fly Trap, then. It moves on reflex not because it has a brain or something."

"I know," she groaned. "But, I can't help it. It was _looking_ at me, Remus. How could I cut it up with it _looking_ at me?" she asked desperately. "It just seems like it would be hurt."

"Well, if you are concerned about hurting a _plant_, I guess that explains why you can't bring yourself to hex anyone. Is that why you won't do the defensive spells on the Dark creatures in class…you are afraid you'll hurt them?" he asked delicately.

She shrugged her shoulders and stared back at the ground.

"Lindi, you can't worry about hurting Dark creatures. They'll hurt you in a heartbeat and be happy about it!"

"But that's their nature, Remus! They can't help it. If we didn't have them caged and brought into class, I wouldn't need to repel them would I?"

He shook his head bemusedly.

"We have to learn, Lindi. What do you think would happen if you ran into one in the wild? If we didn't have the opportunity to practice, we'd never know how to defend ourselves. That's why Professor Dumbledore encourages the Dueling Club…so we can practice. It's not just because it's loads of fun. There are Dark witches and wizards out there, and you can't worry about hurting them if they attack you." He looked at her gravely. "Things are changing, Lindi. You need to be ready for them."

"You make it sound like I'll be attacked if I walk down the street," she said lightly. He looked at her intently. "Do you really think things are that bad?" she asked more solemnly.

"Yeah, I do," he said heavily. "That's why I want you to practice your Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"But, what if I hurt someone while I'm practicing? You aren't a Dark wizard but what if I hurt _you_?"

"Lindi, none of the spells we use are really going to hurt anyone, but they _will_ prepare you to use more potent ones later…if the need arises. They might be a bit uncomfortable but you get over it fast enough. I don't think you need to worry about hurting anyone." He looked at her encouragingly and saw a shadow pass over her face.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said mysteriously.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. She didn't answer and sat staring at her hands and started chewing her lower lip. "Did you hurt someone, Lindi?" he asked slowly though he couldn't imagine her doing anything to hurt anyone.

She looked up at him, swallowed hard and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I don't believe that," he said steadily.

She looked back at her hands and shrugged. "It's true, though," she said quietly. Then, as though a damn had burst, she started telling him. He got the impression she had been bottling this up for quite some time and was relieved to let it finally come flooding out.

"It was over Christmas break of my first year at Bukalara. My aunt and I were staying with a friend of hers in Melbourne for a few days. The woman's grandson was staying with her, as well. He was in fourth year at a school in New Zealand and had an old book of spells he had nicked from his father's office. We were just playing around looking at them and…we weren't even trying to do them because I knew it was against the rules. But, then he…he did something that I didn't…" she took a deep breath. "He made me angry and I told him to stop or I was going to hex him. He thought I was joking and…well, I hexed him, alright. But, something went really wrong…" she paused again and he noticed her eyes were starting to glisten. He didn't know if he should say something to encourage her to go on, so he just waited. That's what his father would have done. She sniffed quietly and continued. "He grabbed my wand as I was casting the spell and I must have really messed up the incantation or something because there was a really bright flash and the next thing I knew, I was waking up on the ground and they were taking Orlon to hospital. For three days, they thought he would never see again. It was so horrible." She finally buried her face in her hands.

"What kind of spell did you hit him with?" Remus asked in amazement.

"I don't know," Lindi groaned. "I thought it was some kind of flailing or thrashing hex…you know, to make his hands thrash about so he'd let go, maybe slap himself about the head a bit." If she hadn't sounded so distraught, Remus would have chuckled at the thought, but she was obviously very serious. "But, I obviously mixed it all up or maybe it was the fact that he had hold of my wand, too…I just don't know."

"Well, what did the healers say happened?" Remus was now very curious about what she could have possibly done to cause so serious an injury at only eleven years old.

"They had no idea; said it was a freak accident and I wouldn't be able to do it again if I tried." She sighed and dropped her head into her hands again.

"But you're afraid they're wrong?" he asked gently. "You're afraid you'll hurt someone without meaning to. That's why you can cast a charm on an object but won't try to cast a hex at living creatures?"

"But I _do try_…You've seen me. I just can't do it," she said defensively.

"You _can't_ because your intentions aren't there. You know the _intent_ is the most important part of magic, Lindi. You can shout incantations all day and wave a wand perfectly, but if the desire isn't there, nothing's going to happen," Remus said. He was actually getting excited that he may have figured out Lindi's problem. "You have a mental block to hexing, Lindi…or a phobia or something."

"Do you really think that's it? I mean, you don't think there's something _wrong_ with me or that I'm just a dim-wit?" she asked hopefully.

"Dim-wits don't get sorted into Ravenclaw! I've had enough lectures with you to know you aren't dim. You are borderline brilliant. But, as with many intellectually gifted people, you appear, at times, to be borderline psychotic, as well," he said, straight-faced and watched her mouth drop.

"Wha…wuh…I can't believe you…I am not!" she finally managed to say.

He laughed at her indignation. "Lindi, you nearly had a mental breakdown over a _vegetable_. So, maybe psychotic is a bit harsh, but you have to admit, you aren't always completely rational, either."

She seemed surprised at his bluntness, but then smiled at him, a small embarrassed smile. It warmed him to his core.

"So, the question is, what do we do about your irrational fear of hexing?" he asked brightly. "Didn't any of your professors have any ideas? Surely you discussed this with them?

"No, I didn't. I think they thought like Adamson…that I'm just a ridiculous, vapid little girl," she said sadly. "They didn't seem that bothered by my incompetence and I was glad they didn't force the issue. Do you _really_ think you can help me?" She looked at him hopefully.

"The next time Adamson comments on your grooming, you will be able to knock him on his sorry arse!" said Remus optimistically.

She actually laughed, something Remus hadn't seen often and hoped to see a lot more in the days to come.

"Thank you, Remus," she said sincerely as she looked into his eyes.

"Don't thank me, yet. Wait until I've sorted it out," he said as he gazed back.

"Even if you can't, it means so much to me that you would even try. I'm sure there are plenty of things you'd rather be doing," she said softly.

She was still looking deep into his eyes and he suddenly felt as if he had been transported to a perfect world. He couldn't have torn his eyes away if he had wanted to. _I'd rather be kissing you…_ he thought as his heart started to flutter.

"Lily said you were perfect for me," she said dreamily. Then, suddenly her eyes grew wide and she looked stunned. "For my _tutor_, I mean! She said you would be a perfect _tutor_!" Lindi added quickly and finally looked away, her face going scarlet.

Remus could hardly breathe. He tried not to smile, knowing she was already embarrassed, but he couldn't help it. _She likes you…Holy crap! Maybe she would go out with you…No, she's just grateful…Bollucks! That was not gratitude, and you know it. Ask her… But, she's already embarrassed, what if she gets upset? She'll never let you help her…You are just making excuses, Remus…Coward! You call yourself a Gryffindor, ask her!_ "Lindi…"

"I better get going," she said at the same time, as if she knew he was going to ask her out and desperately didn't want him to. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her broomstick. "I'm supposed to meet Leanna, Constance and _Darlene_ for dinner."

Suddenly, he was back in the real world. "Oh…alright," he tried not to sound disappointed. He had noticed the emphasis she had placed on Darlene's name. "I'll walk you back to the castle."

"What? You really don't have to. I'm fine," she said nervously.

"I'm going that way, anyway." _I promise not to make a pass at you_ he thought and smiled weakly.

She returned the smile in kind. "Right, you have to eat, too, don't you?" she said sheepishly.

They started walking back to the castle amid an awkward silence. Her slip of the tongue had obviously shaken her, and it had definitely thrown Remus. His mind was swirling with questions. Did she like him, or not? Did she like him but just not _that_ way? Did she like him _that_ way, but worry that Darlene would be upset? His money was on the last one, for now. He had a sudden urge to flog himself severely. Of all people to snog, he had to pick one of Lindi's friends. "_Stupid, Remus! Very STUPID_!" He looked over at her and saw she was chewing on her lower lip nervously.

"So," he said to break the uncomfortable silence. He certainly didn't want this to destroy the friendship they were building. "I meant to ask you…what did Orlon do to make you angry enough to hex him?"

She grimaced. "Nothing, really," she said evasively.

"Come on, it had to be something to make you put him in hospital. Even if it _was _just a freak accident," he said.

She looked even more embarrassed. "_Hetridakisme_," she mumbled.

"What was that?" he asked, starting to grin.

"You heard me," she said softly.

"No, I think you need to repeat it, please…you were mumbling," he teased.

She sighed in exasperation. "He – tried – to – kiss – me."

Remus laughed. "Serves him right, then!"

"Remus! I nearly blinded the boy!" she shrieked.

"Well, that's what he gets for trying to steal kisses from an eleven year old girl…bloody pervert!" Remus was happy to see the corners of her mouth twitching and by the time they reached the stairs to the main hall, they were talking and laughing again…_like good friends,_ Remus thought. Still, he was sure he hadn't imagined what had happened a few minutes ago and he couldn't suppress the feeling that, if he played his cards right and was patient, he might very likely get Lindi to go out with him. He smiled inwardly. If there was one thing Remus J. Lupin had going for him, it was patience.

They reached the top of the stairs and turned towards the Great Hall. As they did, Lindi's friends came around the corner at the other end of the corridor. Remus noticed Lindi's mood change almost immediately. She went from warm and friendly to distant and businesslike. He didn't like it. He had a sudden urge to vanish Darlene on the spot. Maybe he wasn't going to be as patient as he thought.

"Well, here we are," Lindi said quickly. "Thanks again for trying to figure out my problem. I guess I'll see you at practice, then."

She turned and walked briskly towards her friends. Remus noticed the look Darlene shot his way and he made a mental note to slap himself when he got back to the room. He went into the Great Hall and found his own friends waiting for him.

"What's the matter with you, Moony?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah," added James. "You just spent a good hour with Delectable Dellington. I would think you'd look a little happier."

"She didn't shoot you down, did she?" asked Sirius. "Because you weren't even going to ask her out."

"I didn't ask her out," said Remus trying to hide the irritation in his voice. "We talked about Defense, that's all."

"Well, she doesn't seem too happy, either," said Peter, nodding towards the entrance.

Lindi and her friends were coming through the door and were clearly in the midst of a minor tiff. Lindi seemed to be getting the cold shoulder from Darlene and Constance while Leanna walked slightly ahead, apparently staying out of the fray. As the girls walked past the Marauders towards their usual spot at the Ravenclaw table, Remus watched intently.

"Come on Darlene, he's my team leader…he's trying to help me pass Defense…we're just _friends_!" Lindi implored in hushed tones.

Remus almost wished he hadn't been able to hear them. _Just friends…urgghh!_

"How does it feel to be the cause of a cat fight, Moony?" asked James.

"It's more like a dog fight," Sirius corrected. "The pack pounces on the first one to show weakness; that would appear to be Lindi."

"Leanna's not attacking," noted Peter.

"She isn't defending her, either," said James.

"Well, it's a ridiculous thing to be fighting about. You heard Lindi," said Remus, doing his best to hide his disappointment. Lindi wasn't exactly putting up a fight, herself. "We _are_ just friends."

"I don't know…you did look awfully cozy together, Remus," said Peter.

"Yes, very chummy," agreed James.

"Were you spying on us?" asked Remus.

"You weren't exactly _hiding_ it, Moony," said Sirius.

"Well, we have nothing to hide, do we? We are _just friends_. Now, can we drop it?" Remus frustration was starting to wear on him. He didn't like the looks on his friends' faces as they smirked at one another.

"Me thinks they doth protest too much," said James.

"Me thinks I must agree with thee, good Prongs," said Sirius.

Peter looked at Remus, his brows raised in a look that screamed _Sorry, but you know they're right_. Remus had a feeling he wasn't going to win this argument. Truth be told, he didn't _want_ to win this one.


	18. Special Attention

**Chapter: 18 Special Attention**

**Summary: _Three of the Marauders begin lessons with Dumbledore and now that Remus thinks he has figured out Lindi's hexing problem, will his coaching help bring them together?_**

Back in his room, sitting on his bed, Remus tried to concentrate on his Charms homework. It wasn't going very well, and he was making little progress on the silent charms he was practicing. After his talk with Lindi, he was having a hard time focusing and was beginning to feel very anxious about the rest of the evening. They were finally going to have their first private lesson with Professor Dumbledore and Remus felt sure he would make a complete fool of himself. He had researched the topics of Occlumency and Legilimency after learning of the private classes and knew the most important thing was being focused. Well, the only thing he was focused on at the moment was Lindi Dellington. He tensed when he thought that Professor Dumbledore would surely see this and think he was a lovesick berk and remove him from the class. The chance to be instructed by Albus Dumbledore was such an incredible opportunity; Remus refused to let himself botch it up. He would simply have to pull himself together and put Lindi out of mind…somehow.

When Remus, James, and Sirius arrived at the headmaster's office, Remus found he shouldn't have been so worried. His excitement was strong enough to refocus his attention on the subject at hand. After the professor had explained what they needed to do, he started to work with them individually as the others looked on. Remus was glad Professor Dumbledore started with the seventh years in order to gauge their progress before setting them to work amongst themselves. Then he moved on to the sixth years. Always the gentleman, Professor Dumbledore took the girls first. Remus watched as first Felicia and then Lily appeared to be unable to throw off the Professor's probing mind. Dumbledore assured them that they had done well for their first time and moved on to Sirius.

Sirius spent a few minutes plucking memories from his head and depositing them in the Pensieve. Finally, he stood before the professor and Dumbledore raised his wand and said "_Legilimens_." From the rather pleased look on Sirius' face, Remus got the impression that having ones mind probed wasn't necessarily as uncomfortable as it sounded. Remus could only imagine what Dumbledore had witnessed when the headmaster finally released Sirius and smiled.

"Mr. Black, have you no other…_extracurricular_ activities?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly. Sirius cast him a devilish grin and shrugged. "Hmmm…Well, I do hope you master the art of Occlumency quickly. I don't know how much of that my old heart can take." Everyone laughed…everyone but Severus Snape, that is. Severus just sneered. Sirius didn't even pretend to be embarrassed.

When it was Remus' turn, he carefully extracted the memories he wanted to conceal and dropped them into the Pensieve. It was a peculiar feeling, and he felt strangely exposed. He had done some research on Pensieves and knew that they could be used to explore the memories of others simply by putting your face into the swirling silver light. Remus didn't like having these intensely personal things floating around in an open basin, seemingly free for all to see. He had worked so hard at keeping them locked away all these years. As Remus hesitated to drop the memory of his bite into the shimmering mist, he decided no one would attempt to invade his privacy right under Professor Dumbledore's nose. However, if he used the Pensieve for practice elsewhere, Remus would be sure it was well secured. Finally, he had deposited all the memories he wished to keep private. He could feel the looks from the others; no doubt they were wondering how anyone could have that much to hide, especially at his age. But, Professor Dumbledore smiled at him encouragingly, and he stepped forward to begin.

As the mind probe hit him, he didn't find it nearly as pleasant as Sirius apparently had. Memories started flashing before him unbidden. At first, they were benign images of him and his friends in class, watching Quidditch, practicing spells…But they quickly became more personal. Suddenly, there were images of Remus making excuses for missing class…Making up stories about his injuries…Walking the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack… Watching Lindi being sorted…Lindi flying…Raising his wand to protect Lindi at the Three Broomsticks… Those gorgeous brown eyes…"Lily said you were perfect for me"…Madam Pomfrey bandaging his arms…Beauty and the Beast…"You don't want to be making love to a girl who doesn't know the truth about you, Remus"… "_No! Stop_!" he cried and finally broke free, or did Dumbledore let go? Remus didn't know.

"Good, Remus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Remember how that felt…to squeeze your mind shut. Practice that."

Remus numbly said he would and started retrieving his memories from the Pensieve, his hands shaking as he did. _And you thought you put all the embarrassing ones in here,_ he thought miserably. He didn't really notice how the remaining students fared against Professor Dumbledore's probing, as he was too busy being mortified. _What must Professor Dumbledore think of you?_

"Not bad, everyone! You've learned enough for one day…or should I say, _I've _learned enough for one day," said Dumbledore, cocking a brow at Sirius. The students sniggered. "I believe I need to have Locking Charms put on the broom cupboards."

"Ah, Professor, I thought you said you wouldn't use this against us," said Sirius with a cheeky grin. Professor Dumbledore smiled back.

"You will be informed of the time for our next session. We will begin Legilimency then, so that you may actually practice with each other. In the mean time, remember to practice clearing your minds," Dumbledore said and dismissed the students.

"Remus," Professor Dumbledore said quietly. "Could I have a moment, please?" Remus turned back from the door and James and Sirius paused as well. "Go ahead. Remus will catch up shortly," Dumbledore told them and smiled kindly.

Remus walked nervously to the headmaster's desk and took a seat in the plush chintz chair Dumbledore indicated with a wave of his hand. The professor studied him intently over the rim of his half-moon glasses, making Remus feel even more self-conscious, if that was possible.

"You did quite well for your first attempt, Remus," Dumbledore said earnestly.

Remus found this hard to believe and could barely look the professor in the eye. "I'm afraid it didn't feel that way, Sir. You don't happen to have a bigger Pensieve, do you?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Remus, the more we have in our life that we wish to keep private, the more important Occlumency becomes. But, it also becomes easier to master. Your friend, Sirius, would do well to keep some of his _less pleasant_ memories, so he doesn't enjoy reliving them so much." Remus had to smile at the smirk on Dumbledore's bemused face. "When you have dark or deep memories, the desire to protect and conceal them becomes stronger. The more we have to lose, the harder we fight to save it. It is the same with our thoughts and memories. They are as valuable as any possessions we have, Remus. You did _very_ well. So, practice, and you won't _need_ a bigger Pensieve."

Remus nodded but Dumbledore seemed to sense his lingering embarrassment.

"Remus, please do not be embarrassed by what I was able to see. This is not an exercise in humiliation. Besides, I saw nothing for which you should be ashamed. Quite the contrary, I saw images of a thoughtful, brave young man who faces incredibly difficult challenges with dignity and composure." Then, Dumbledore looked over his glasses and smiled knowingly. "I also saw a very healthy, shall we say, _lust for beauty_. Perfectly understandable, I should add."

Remus flushed and grinned guiltily.

"Well, your friends are waiting and I need my beauty sleep. Good night, Remus."

"Good night, Professor."

When Remus returned to the dormitory, his friends had the good grace not to ask him about what Dumbledore had wanted. Remus figured they would have known, anyway. They knew enough about Remus and had witnessed enough of his horrors to know there would be intensely intimate details that he wouldn't want to share even with them, and they respected that.

Over the next few days, Remus found he had many opportunities to practice closing his mind to his own thoughts. Unfortunately, he didn't feel that he was very successful. It was a bit like Sirius enjoying reliving his _extracurricular_ activities. Remus didn't really _want_ to stop thinking about Lindi, even if he did need to concentrate on other things. The way she had looked at him and let that bit about him being _perfect_ slip… he couldn't get that out of his mind. He was convinced she liked him, but something was holding her back. Was it Darlene or something else? Remus didn't know, but had decided the only thing for him to do was…_nothing_. He would simply do what he had been doing. He would continue to be her _friend_ and do everything he could to help her in Dueling Club. If Lindi really _did_ like him, an opening was bound to present itself and then he would take it. But, he wouldn't try to push her. By the time Thursday afternoon rolled around, he had given Lindi and her dueling problem a great deal of thought. He couldn't wait to get started.

Remus arrived at the practice hall a few minutes beforehand to set things up. He opened the cupboard in the back of the room and retrieved cushions for his team.

The rest of the club members started to arrive and Remus was pleased to see Lindi was one of the first, giving him a few minutes to talk to her before practice officially got underway. He noticed she seemed a little awkward at first; no doubt she had thought about that _perfect_ slip, as well. But she still smiled sweetly when she saw him look towards her.

"Hiya, Remus," she said shyly.

"Hello, Lindi. Are you ready for some intensive immersion therapy?"

He chuckled as her face fell and she visibly tensed. "What do you mean?" she asked nervously.

"I'm teasing you. Well, not completely. I think the only way to deal with your fear is to jump right in and just make you do it. You have to see that you won't hurt anyone. Once you have some confidence, I know you'll be fine." Remus smiled reassuringly.

"Who am I going to have to hex?" she asked in a small voice.

"Me," he said as she winced.

"Oh, Remus, I don't want to hex you."

"Well, you have to hex someone," he said lightly. "So, after I set the team to practice, you and I will work together."

Once the team had arrived, Remus informed them that they would be working on hex deflection and told them to divide into pairs. He asked James and Sirius to take the second and third years aside and work with them.

"But, please try to be constructive and don't torture them, alright?" Remus implored.

"You're just no fun, Moony," said James.

"What are you going to be doing while we baby sit the kiddies?" asked Sirius.

"I'll be working with Lindi," Remus admitted, trying his best to sound indifferent.

"Bet you will!" James said and he and Sirius both snickered.

"Oh, will you two grow up." Remus walked over to Lindi and led her to the two open cushions. He noticed, too late, that Sirius and James had started their practice at the same end of the hall.

"I thought we would try _Expelliarmus_ again, since it is very handy and it is directed at the wand instead of the person. At least, if you think of it that way, maybe it will be easier for you than one that actually does affect your opponent, like _Stupefy_ or _Tarantallegra_," Remus explained.

"Alright," Lindi said and turned to stand next to the cushion. She turned back towards him and Remus saw her start to raise her wand. From there, he could see her knuckles whiten from gripping it so tightly.

"Hold on, Lindi," he called as he walked over to her, unaware that James and Sirius were paying more attention to him than to the second and third years.

"Lindi, you have to relax. You are holding it way to hard. You know how to do this." He reached out and took her wand hand. "Look, you're leaving fingernail marks from squeezing it so tightly. Just give it a nice, firm grasp so you can still move your wrist freely." He was distracted by James and Sirius sniggering in the background.

"What?" he asked them shortly.

"Nothing!" they said in unison, looking like they were on the verge of full blown laughter.

Remus turned back to Lindi. He paused for a moment as he looked down at her hand in his. The smooth skin and delicate fingers contrasted with his own, rather large, scuffed and scarred hands, making his look very _masculine_. He had never noticed that before. He liked it. He suddenly had the urge to wrap his long knobby-knuckled fingers around her perfect slender ones and never let go. Then, he noticed the wand lying in her hand and remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"Anyway," he said, mentally shaking himself back to the task at hand. "You have to loosen up. Hexes are the same as Charms or Transfiguration. Just hold it tightly enough that it doesn't slip out of your hand and then you can still move it in a nice fluid motion." He turned on James and Sirius again as their sniggering grew louder.

"What is the matter with you two?" he snapped.

"We want to practice whatever you are doing. It sounds much more interesting than _Impedimenta_," said Sirius.

"Yes, but I want a new partner. No offense, Padfoot," said James.

"None taken, Prongs. I feel the same," said Sirius.

"What are you talking about?" asked Remus with growing exasperation.

"Well, I'd like a partner of the female persuasion," said James.

"Me too, Moony," said Sirius with a glint in his eye, "especially if you are going to make us hold hands the whole time."

Remus flushed as he realized he was still holding Lindi's hand. They jerked their hands away so quickly that she dropped her wand. Immediately, they bent to retrieve it and cracked their heads together, almost knocking each other to the floor. Remus reached out instinctively to steady her.

"Are you alright?" he gasped. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's my fault," Lindi said. "I'm so sorry!"

They started to laugh. As Remus looked into her eyes, the laughter slowly died. Suddenly, they were gazing deeply into each others eyes and he felt his breathing quicken. _Ohhh, I really want to kiss you, _he thought. He felt himself leaning towards her very slowly. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, except his pounding heart. He leaned closer.

"Hey, Remus! Did you see that?" shouted Peter happily. The interruption snapped Remus' attention away from Lindi. He was momentarily confused and could hardly remember where he was or what he was _supposed_ to be doing. He heard Sirius and James groan.

"Way to go, Wormtail!" yelled James, though it didn't sound like congratulations.

Remus looked back at Lindi. She met his eye briefly and looked away as her cheeks grew red. The moment had passed, but she had felt it too, and he knew it.

"Nice job, Peter," Remus called, hoping he sounded encouraging, though he didn't know what he was congratulating Peter for. He tried to clear his head and get back to work. _What were you going to do, snog her right here in front of everyone?_ he asked himself. _You'll land yourself in hospital just like Orlon. _He shook the thought off.

"Alright, Lindi." he said. "Are you ready to try again?"

"You mean _Expelliarmus_?" she squeaked.

"Yeah," he answered. _Unless you want to try that near kiss thing again. But, with Padfoot and Prongs ogling us, that might be a bad idea,_ he thought. He smiled to himself as he got into place and waited for her to cast the Charm, and waited.

"Come on, Lindi, just do it" he said gently but firmly. "I promise it isn't going to hurt."

More sniggering as she nervously raised her wand.

"_Expelliarmus_," she said, as she squeezed her eyes shut and waved her wand rather shakily. She only opened her eyes at the sound of crashing.

"Oy, Dellington! Hit your own partner!" cried Lily. Lindi's spell had dislodged Peter's wand in mid-hex, causing his spell to land in the storage cupboard. Buckets, brushes, brooms and mops were flying out into the room as the club members dove for cover.

"Oh my _gosh_!" screeched Lindi. "What did I do? I'm so sorry!" She threw her hands up to cover her mouth as she turned, horrified, to Remus. "See?" she nearly shrieked. "I can't do this. I'm a menace!"

"I think _menace_ is a bit of an exaggeration," he said as he shook his head at the mess. "But, now you know you can do it. You disarmed Peter and he's still breathing. Of course, you weren't supposed to be aiming for _him,_ but your charm still worked," Remus smiled at her reassuringly.

"But, the cupboard…all this mess?" she whimpered.

"Technically, you didn't do that; Peter did," said Remus. "Lets help them clean it up and then we'll try again, shall we?"

With a few waves of their wands, the contents of the cupboard were restored and the door closed this time. Remus watched as Lily teased Lindi and Lindi apologized profusely to Peter. He then took some time to check on the other members of his team, finally making his way to the small group with Sirius and James.

"How are they coming along?" Remus asked.

"Not bad," answered James. "Shacklebolt's got some really great reflexes."

"Yeah, we might actually have to work at torturing him," added Sirius.

"Well, if it keeps you out of my hair, by all means…" Remus said with a smirk.

"Why Moony, whatever do you mean?" asked James innocently.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean. You two over here giggling like a couple of pre-pubescent girls. You are making Lindi _nervous_," Remus chastised them in a hushed tone.

"We do _not_ giggle," said Sirius indignantly.

"Besides," added James, "the only one making Lindi nervous is you, Moony. Did you see how she blushed when you were holding her hand?"

"I was _not_ holding her hand. I was adjusting her grip on her wand!" said Remus defensively.

"Well, what about that head butt? That was _very_ smooth. I never considered almost knocking her out so I could kiss her and make it feel better," Sirius said, waggling his brow.

Remus blushed as they laughed at him. He knew they would have noticed that.

"Ohhh! You've got it bad, Moony!" Sirius laughed.

"Yep, mate, you're dead buggered!" agreed James.

"Well, if that isn't the Potter calling the kettle black?" said Remus, blushing ever more brightly.

"Hey, I never tried to knock Evans out," said James. "Although, it might be worth a shot. It almost worked for you."

"Arghhh," Remus groaned. _Yep, they noticed and now you are never going to hear the end of it. Real Smooth!_ "Listen, I don't have time for this. So, do you think you can control yourselves? Lindi actually made some progress, and I want her to get it right before we're done for the day."

"All right, Moony. We promise to _try_," said James.

Remus rolled his eyes hopelessly. He knew when James and Sirius were in a mood there wasn't much to be done with them. He would just have to try not to give them anymore fodder to use against him and hope for the best. Of course, with those two, one never knew what they might consider fodder.

"Lindi!" Remus called, and motioned for her to join him. He heard her apologize to Peter one last time as she came over and stood in front of him.

"Now, that was a pretty good _Expelliarmus_. But, this time, I want you to disarm _me_," he said.

She rolled her eyes in embarrassment and nodded. "All right, Remus."

"Good, now, get in place," he told her. She walked away and turned to face him looking very nervous.

"Alright, concentrate and _aim_ this time," he said. Remus turned as a chuckle met his ear. _What could they possibly find funny in this?_ he wondered as he shook his head and looked back at Lindi. He could see her take in a deep breath as she started to raise her wand. Then, her eyes closed as she began the spell.

"Lindi, _stop_!" he said sternly and she froze. "Keep your eyes open," he instructed her. "I want you to look at me when you do it."

"Right," she answered as the sound of Sirius' bark of a laugh rose into the room distracting her. Remus turned to see James whisper something that made Sirius laugh again. They both looked back at Remus, grinning wildly.

"_Silencio_!" Remus cried, waving his wand at Sirius and then, "_Silencio_!" again at James. His two friends looked at him with shocked, but delighted expressions. Remus smiled ruefully, knowing that he would pay for hexing them. He turned quickly to Lindi.

"Now, they can't distract you. So, disarm me!" He said more forcefully. "Quickly, Lindi. I'm going to need my wand back."

She looked from Remus to his two friends who were silently mouthing something at him. They grinned and waved their wands menacingly. Oh yes, Remus was going to pay. He thought about disarming them while he had the chance, but he knew they would get him sooner or later, so he might as well get it over with.

"Come on, Lindi!" Remus urged.

Finally, she raised her wand and cast the charm. He felt the wand tug in his grip and then pull free and fall a few feet away. It wasn't a powerful disarming, but he was now weaponless. He looked up at her shocked face and smiled. Slowly, Lindi seemed to realize what she had done and she returned his smile. As it spread across her face, a combination of relief, amazement, joy, and gratitude, he felt a sense of pride and decided the abuse he was soon to face was well worth it. He realized that she was coming towards him, practically skipping with glee like a little girl who had just found a new doll under the Christmas Tree. But she certainly didn't _look_ like a little girl.

"It worked! Oh _my gosh_, Remus, I did it!" she squealed.

Then, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as she bobbed up and down on her toes and giggled excitedly. Remus caught his breath at her unexpected embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight, swinging her up off the floor so that she would stop bobbing. He was having enough trouble breathing without her bouncing up and down against him like that.

"I told you that you could," he said as he lowered her back to the floor.

His voice seemed to bring her to her senses. Lindi pulled away quickly and started to smooth out his robes.

"Oh, er…sorry, Remus…I…well, I guess I got a little excited," she said sheepishly.

"Don't worry, its fine," he said as he grudgingly pulled his hands away from her waist. _I was getting a little excited myself_, he thought as he took a deep calming breath. _Yep, that was definitely worth the price I'm going to have to pay_.

As he smiled down into her blushing face, he didn't notice that the hexes he had cast upon his two friends were wearing off.


	19. Just a Little Hexing Between Friends

**Chapter 19: Just a Little Hexing Between Friends**

**Summary: _Remus knew he would have to pay for hexing his friends_**_. **But will it be worth it?**_

_**A/N: **Warning, Warning! Risqué conversation ahead. Nothing really bad, the boys are just being a little vulgar. Since this has been a pretty clean fic, I just don't want anyone to be surprised. If you really don't want to read that sort of thing, skip the part starting when Sirius tosses Remus the magazine, all the way to the end of the chapter. It shouldn't leave you without information that you really need in order to follow the next chapter. Also, the conversation will make more sense if Chapter 18 is fresh on your mind. Now if you really like that sort of thing (risqué stuff), you'll probably be disappointed. _

"Oh, you are _so_ dead, Lupin!"

Remus winced at the sound of Sirius' voice and finally tore his eyes away from Lindi.

He reached down and grabbed the wand she had finally managed to expel from his grip. "Get out of the way, Lindi," he said calmly.

"You have lost your mind, Moony!" James laughed, having recovered his own voice, as well.

Remus turned to look at them. Sirius and James had their wands at the ready with positively wicked grins on their faces. Remus grinned back. Part of him was looking forward to some real dueling. It would be a chance to work off some of the exhilaration he was feeling over Lindi. Hexing and being hexed seemed a more dignified way to burn off the building surge of excitement than jumping in the air and shouting for joy. Still, he knew he was about to get his arse kicked. James or Sirius alone was nearly unbeatable; against them both, he didn't have a prayer.

"That was _sneaky_, Moony," said James sounding impressed.

"Yep, you caught us off guard," agreed Sirius. "Won't happen again, mate."

"Of that, I'm sure," Remus said and raised his own wand. The three friends bowed dramatically, following proper dueling etiquette. The rest of the team started gathering around to watch.

"_Wait_!" shrieked Lindi. "You aren't going to fight them _both_?" She looked at Remus in disbelief then turned to James and Sirius. "It's not _fair_. It's two against one!"

Sirius smirked and made a deliberate show of counting, pointing first to Remus. "One." Then he pointed to James and himself. "One, _TWO_. Yep," he said snidely. "Two against one. No wonder you are in Ravenclaw." Sirius winked at her, and her mouth dropped open.

"_Argh_…well…you…you…" she stammered.

"Lindi, stay out of it," said Remus. He didn't take his eyes off his friends' wands but couldn't help grinning. She was trying to protect _him_. He told himself it wasn't unexpected for her to take his side. They were friends after all. Still, he could tell from the near panic in her voice, that maybe it was a bit more than her wanting to defend a _friend_. His exhilaration intensified.

"But it's not _fair_!" she repeated anxiously.

"Awww, isn't that sweet," mocked James. "Who told you life is fair, Lindi? I wouldn't put much stock in anything else they have to tell you. But, you are more than welcome to join us, if it will make you feel better." He grinned devilishly.

"Don't you dare, Prongs," said Remus.

"Are we going to do this sometime today or not?" Sirius was obviously becoming impatient for some action.

Suddenly, brightly colored jets of light flew across the room. Remus had gotten the first spell off, catching James with a _Rictusempra_. James hated to be tickled, so it would keep him out of action for a little while, anyway. For the next few minutes, Remus and Sirius cast and deflected hexes so rapidly their audience's heads seemed to be on a swivel. By now, the other team present had ceased their practice and had come to watch, as well.

When Remus noticed James getting to his feet as the hex wore off, he knew his only real chance was to catch James again before he was fully recovered. In the instant he shifted his focus from Sirius to James, Sirius caught him with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, throwing Remus and his spell off balance and making him miss his target. As his legs gave way, Remus managed to sneak in an _Incarcerous_ on Sirius, but James removed the curse and the two closed in for the kill. Remus was now sitting on the floor since it was better to be seated and steady than on his feet fighting the Jelly-Legs. He managed to deflect a couple of spells but, finally, James retaliated with his own _Rictusempra_.

James and Sirius walked up and stood over Remus. He laughed and gasped against the Tickling Hex, his legs flopping uselessly on the floor. They smiled down at him victoriously.

"Had enough?" asked Sirius.

Before Remus could spit out a response, he heard a female voice cry out.

"_Expelliarmus_!"

Sirius and James' wands flew out of their hands.

"_Finite Incantatem_!" cried Lily, and the spells were lifted from Remus.

In the brief moment it took Lily to lift the spells, James and Sirius had recovered their wands and hexes were flying once again, but now it was two on two, a bit more _fair_. Remus wasn't sure how long they battled, but eventually James and Sirius wore them down. While Remus and Lily made a formidable team, it was simply impossible to beat James and Sirius when they worked together.

"Enough!" shouted Remus when he heard Lily's cries.

"_Sirius Black_, don't you dare…so help me _SIRIUS_…" she shouted.

"You win!" Remus held his wand up in surrender and laughed. "Let her go, Sirius."

Sirius had Lily frozen, her hands held together over her head as if invisible ropes were pulling them up to the ceiling, while he toyed with her. He was making her long red hair stand on end and pretending he was going to lift her robes as they would flip up a little and drop again then go a little higher next time. Sirius was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had taken over the hexing of Lily when it had become evident that James was going soft on her and was going to get them beaten.

"We accept your surrender," said James, catching his breath. With a wink, Sirius released Lily from the hex. "We'll give you our terms _later_," James added waggling his brow at her.

"Dream on, Potter!" Lily gasped. But she _did_ laugh.

As their audience applauded and closed in to discuss the duel, Remus looked around for Lindi. He spotted her standing a few feet away. She looked ashen. He walked over to her and noticed she was actually shaking and she seemed on the verge of tears. His heart skipped a beat.

"Lindi, what's wrong?"

"That was terrible," she whimpered.

"Well, we did get our arses kicked, but it was _fun_," he assured her.

"F-fun? You could have been hurt."

"James and Sirius aren't going to _hurt_ me, Lindi. I told you, we don't use any really dangerous spells. Besides, I can hold my own," he said assuredly.

"Yeah…I noticed," she murmured with a hint of admiration in her voice.

He felt his whole body go warm as he looked down into her face. She had been really worried about him…not James or Sirius or even Lily, but _him_. As he looked into her anxious eyes, he knew it wasn't because she didn't think he was up to the challenge. It was because she _liked_ him. He nearly reached out to touch her face, but thought better of it. _Not here, with this crowd, after they clear out and I get everything put away…_

"Lily is good, too, isn't she?" Lindi asked softly as she finally looked away.

"Lily is _very_ good," he answered, just managing to hold his voice steady. He could barely breathe for Merlin's sake.

"She was very brave to do that. I'm sorry I was such a coward. I didn't even _try_ to help you." She sounded terribly guilty.

"Thank goodness you didn't!" he laughed. "I'd have been so distracted worrying about you, I would've been defeated immediately."

He wasn't sure, but the way she looked up at him made him think she was pleased by his admission. She bit her lower lip and smiled shyly. Then, he _knew_ she wanted him. Maybe not as much as he wanted her, but all the signs said she liked him. Suddenly, Remus knew what he should do. He would walk her back to Ravenclaw Tower and find a quiet place along the way where he could ask her out. The first Hogsmeade trip of the year was a week from Saturday. That would be perfect. He smiled at her, feeling very relieved by his decision. From the smile she gave him, he knew it was the right one. _You might do more than ask her for a date in that nice quiet spot._ He forced himself to breathe normally. He felt positively hypoxic at the thought.

"I have to make sure everything is put away. You could help me with _that_," Remus said hopefully.

"I can do _that_. I'm actually quite good with house-keeping charms," she said.

"Ah, you can cook?" he asked, glad for something to distract him from the urge to take her in his arms and _really_ embarrass himself.

"Well, no…but if I could, you could eat it off the floor," she said brightly. "So, if I can't pass my retest on the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. and my N.E.W.T. and get into healer training, I'll make some rich family a fine maid." She gave him an abashed smile. "Just don't tell Adamson. He already thinks I belong barefoot in the kitchen."

He laughed as the image of her dressed in one of those little French Maid dresses with the lacy white apron flickered through his mind. He had seen a picture in a naughty lingerie catalogue Sirius had nicked from one of his cousins over Christmas break during third year. Remus had _really_ liked it…and the model hadn't been nearly as pretty as Lindi.

_Oy, but she brings out the lecher in you, Remus_, he chastised himself. He realized he did that a lot since Lindi came to Hogwarts.

Lindi started gathering up the cushions and went into the cupboard to store them while Remus replaced the spell books they had used on the shelf. He was interrupted by the younger students who were still milling about, fawning over Sirius, James, and Lily because of the duel. They were clearly impressed with the wide variety of spells that had been cast and the speed with which they had flown. Remus talked to them for a moment but was impatient to get back to Lindi. He looked toward the cupboard and saw the last of the cushions floating in through the doorway. What was taking her so long to stack cushions? He peeked in to see what she was doing and found her reorganizing the entire cupboard down to the final roll of toilet tissue.

"What are you doing, Lindi?"

"_Aaah_," she gasped and jumped at the sound of his voice, knocking over a case of Mrs. Scower's Magical Mess Remover. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Remus." She waved her wand and the scattered bottles of cleaner glided back into the box.

"I didn't mean to sneak," he said, chuckling. "You didn't have to straighten the whole cupboard, you know."

"Well, it was my fault it was such a mess. We didn't put it back very neatly, earlier." She looked around to see if everything was in place. "This is a really big cupboard. Where does that door go?" she asked indicating a second door on the adjacent wall of the small room.

"That opens to the corridor."

"Oh." She looked around again taking in the buckets of mops and brooms. "_Oh_…This is a _broom_ cupboard, not just Dueling Club storage." Then, her eyes widened with comprehension when her gaze rested on the stacks of cushions neatly lining the side wall and she started to blush. "This is _the_ broom cupboard, isn't it?"

When he saw the look on her face, Remus wondered what she found most disturbing: the knowledge of what went on in this small room or the fact that she was standing in the middle of such a den of iniquity with a man. A man who, she had to realize, wanted desperately to kiss her. _Since when do you think of yourself as a man?_ Remus wondered. He would have to think about that later. She was looking at him curiously, waiting for a response.

Remus wasn't sure how to respond. If he admitted this was, indeed, _the_ broom cupboard, that would be an admission that he knew all about it and she would probably assume that he had brought girls here. Of course, he _had_, but he didn't really want _her _to know that.

"This is _a_ broom cupboard, obviously. I'm pretty sure there is at least one on every floor of the castle," Remus said, deciding to go for evasion and hope for the best.

"Is this the one you brought Darlene to?" Lindi asked bluntly.

_Aww, bloody crap! _"Uhm…well…er…" Remus muttered awkwardly. He was flabbergasted by her directness and looked around uncomfortably, trying to figure out how things could have been going so well before suddenly taking such a drastic turn for the worst. She seemed to realize how uncomfortable he was and suddenly buried her face in her hands.

"Oh blimey, Remus," she groaned. "I'm so sorry. That is absolutely none of my business. I don't know what I was thinking."

Remus' rationality took hold. He realized this was the perfect opportunity to get this out in the open and cleared up, once and for all. He could finally make sure she knew there was _nothing_ between him and Darlene and that he hadn't set out to hurt anyone.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "And yes, Darlene and I have been here, but that was a long time ago."

"Do you think you might…you know…go out with her again?" she asked quietly, as she studied her hands.

"_What?_" he sounded perplexed even to his own ears. Didn't Lindi realize how he felt about her? How could she not? He had practically lost control and tried to kiss her in the middle of Dueling Club practice. Surely she could see he was mad for her. She wasn't blind! Or did she just not _want_ to see it? Could he be that wrong about her?

"No," he said softly but with conviction. "I don't see us ever going out again."

"May I ask why?" she looked at him at last. "I mean, Darlene is nice and smart, and she's pretty…and you know she likes you."

He stared at her for a moment wishing Dumbledore had taught them Legilimency so he could understand what she was trying to say. Did she _want_ him to date Darlene?

"Yes, Darlene is smart and pretty," he admitted. "But, like I told _her_, we just don't have that much in common, so I don't really see how she could like me all that much." He looked into Lindi's face and decided to go for it. "Besides, there is someone else I like."

Her eyes widened and she started looking around the room nervously as if trying to find a place to hide.

"Oh, well…I see. Right…" she said with that panicked look about her, and he almost smiled. "So, I guess that's settled then. Right…well I'd better be going…"

"Aren't you going to ask me who?" he asked pointedly.

"Who what?" she asked as her voice took on a shrill, nervous tone.

_Yep_, he thought in amusement. _She's panicking_. It would have been more amusing if the situation hadn't been so important to him.

"Who it is I like?" he asked. His own voice had become deeper, almost husky.

"Hmmm?" she squeaked. "No! Of course not! That is your own personal business. I wouldn't want to _pry_!"

"That hasn't stopped you yet," he teased as he took a step towards her.

She made a strangled, whimpering sound and grimaced.

"You're right. I've behaved horribly. You should have told me to mind my own business from the beginning. I'm sorry. I'm not usually so rude…I really should just go," she said as she took a step back and kicked over a pail full of mops. She turned to grab the handles and got tripped up on a second bucket and fell ungracefully to the floor, dragging brooms and knocking things from the shelves as she went. The clatter was near deafening and he rushed to see if she was hurt.

"Are you alright?" he gasped as he knelt down beside her. Seeing her splayed out amid the mops and rolls of toilet tissue, he nearly choked on his laughter when he realized she was unhurt.

"What in blooming blazes is going on in here?"

Remus looked around and saw James, Sirius, Peter and Lily crowded into the cupboard doorway. He could only imagine what they were thinking as they smirked humorously down at them.

"Are you alright, Lindi?" cried Lily.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just fell," Lindi said as she pulled a spiny scrub brush from under her bum with a wince.

"Obviously!" yelped James. Remus' friends burst into laughter.

Lindi let Remus help her up and she smoothed her robes with as much dignity as she could muster. She looked into his eyes and swallowed hard. He knew she was going to take the opportunity to get away before they were alone again.

"I was just leaving and didn't look where I was going," Lindi explained. "I need to get back to my house, now. I'll see you lot later," she said to the four in the doorway and then turned back to Remus. "I…erm…yeah alright…I'll see you then." She turned to go but stumbled over the handle of a mop. She glanced around at them shamefaced and waved her wand, muttering "_Repono_" and the buckets and pails righted themselves as the brooms and mops leaned gracefully against the wall. Another quick flick and she had all the contents of the closet stacked neatly in place. "There, that's better. Alright then…bye." And she practically bolted out the side door into the corridor and was gone.

Remus stared at the open doorway for a moment as if expecting her to return, but he knew better. He turned and headed towards the Dueling Chamber where his friends stood watching him.

"Decided to give knocking her out another try, ey, Moony?" asked James, grinning.

Remus scowled and walked into the now deserted chamber as his friends followed. He walked over to the console near the door and gathered a couple of the books he had planned to go through before next practice.

"Well?" Lily said impatiently.

"Well, what?" Remus responded.

"What happened with Lindi in the broom cupboard?" she asked eagerly. "Are you going out or not?"

Remus blinked. Was there some sort of conspiracy to embarrass him with personal queries today? At least Lindi had put him on the spot about _Darlene_ privately.

"She fell over a bucket when she was leaving, just as she said." He tried to sound indifferent but it was a real struggle. "And _no_…we are _just_ friends, Lily."

"That's _codswollop_! And you know it, Remus," Lily snapped. "Friends don't make goo-goo eyes and blush all over each other."

Remus was so embarrassed even his eyeballs felt hot. He saw his friends screw up their faces in an attempt to keep from laughing, for all the good it did them, as they looked from him to Lily and back again.

"Don't be embarrassed, Remus," Lily went on unmercifully. "I think it's great that you like each other. I think you make a fabulous couple."

"Lily, I'm telling you, we–are–just–friends."

"Right," she said dubiously. "Whatever you say," and she winked at him conspiratorially. "I'm going to dinner." With that, she turned on her heels, flipping her auburn hair behind her and walked cheerfully towards the corridor.

"Wait up, Evans. I'll walk with you," said James. "That was some brilliant dueling you did back there, by the way," he added briskly, before she could turn him down.

"Well, if we were so brilliant and you beat us, I suppose that makes you practically a dueling god?" she asked.

"Nah, we just got lucky," James said modestly.

Lily's chin dropped with shock and they disappeared into the corridor. Remus thought James might actually have said something right to Lily and was glad things had turned out alright for _someone_. He waited for Peter and Sirius to walk into the corridor before he pulled the door closed behind them, and they headed towards the Great Hall even though Remus didn't really feel all that hungry at the moment. He had lost his appetite when Lindi walked out the door.

"So, is Lily right, Moony?" asked Peter hesitantly. "I mean, it sure seems like you and Lindi like each other."

"Does it?" asked Remus a little bitterly. "Because I _really_ don't know. I think we all know I like her but…I can't seem to figure her out."

"Hrmph!" snorted Sirius. "She's a _woman_ isn't she? You might as well stop trying to figure her out!"

"Yeah, but I thought the same thing Lily thought…that you were asking her out," said Peter.

"Well, it _had_ crossed my mind until she started talking about me and _Darlene_," Remus spat the name as if it were foul. "Look, can we just drop it. I don't really want to talk about it."

Remus picked quietly at his food while his friends ate. James had been waiting for them when they arrived. He was in a fairly good mood as he and Lily had made it all the way to the main hall before she had gotten angry with him. Unfortunately, before they made it any further, James had instinctively hexed a second year for dropping a bottle of ink and splattering it all over his robes.

"I wouldn't have hexed him if he hadn't been tossing it around like a toy…stupid, clumsy prat," James said.

Apparently, Lily hadn't thought that was a good enough reason to turn the boy's fingers into sticks of butter.

"She wouldn't have gotten so bent out of shape if the nancy boy hadn't started bawling when they started to melt onto the floor," James grumbled through a mouth full of shepherd's pie.

Remus wondered briefly if James would ever learn, but then his mind soon drifted to his own problems. He found himself staring at the back of Lindi's head as she sat across the aisle at the Ravenclaw table, her friends chattering around her. He must not have been very discrete, because Constance elbowed Darlene who, in turn, looked up at him and smiled. He forced a smile back and hoped she didn't think he had been looking at _her_. He looked back down at his more than half full plate and pushed it away.

The Marauders went back to their room and got busy with homework. Remus had been very distracted at dinner and now he was having a difficult time focusing on his Ancient Runes translation. What was going on with Lindi? Was he reading her all wrong? If so, why did everyone _else_ seem to think she liked him? The way she had looked at him…The way she made him feel…

He looked down at his unfinished translation. _Come on, Remus, you have to get this done._ But he couldn't concentrate. Why couldn't he think about anything other than Lindi? He had never had trouble focusing on his schoolwork before. School was always the thing that took his mind off of other problems. He had to get this translation finished. It was due tomorrow. He stared at the parchment lying in front of him, but all he could see was Lindi's face looking up at him, her dark eyes dancing with desire.

"Arghhh," he groaned and dropped his quill on the parchment. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to wipe the image away.

"Something wrong, Moony?" asked Sirius, looking over the top of the _Le Femme Magique_ magazine he had gotten from that third year Hestia Jones. Sirius had obviously finished his homework.

"Just tired of working on this bloody translation," Remus said wearily.

"Here, take a break," said Sirius as he flung the magazine onto Remus' bed. "Check out the inside back cover."

Remus picked up the magazine and flipped it open knowing what to expect. Sure enough, looking out from the page were two very attractive, _very_ scantily clad witches, moving in what could only be described as sexy to borderline risqué poses. Normally, that would take his mind off of something bothering him, at least for a while. But this time, all he could think was, _Lindi is much hotter than that. Crap!_

Suddenly, James leaned over Remus' shoulder to have a look and snatched the magazine from his hands.

"Give me that! That's the last thing he needs, Padfoot! He's randy enough as it is," James said. "Why do you think he can't finish the bloody translation?"

_Oh, no_, Remus thought with a cringe.

"So, you ready to talk about it now, Moony?" asked Sirius brightly.

"No, not really," Remus replied.

"Don't sound so forlorn," said James. "Evans is convinced Dellington fancies you and girls know that stuff about each other."

"Besides, it was so _obvious_," Sirius said. "Just _tell_ her to go out with you. She does anything you say." Sirius looked over at James and they laughed.

"What are you talking about?" asked Remus.

"Oh, come on, Moony, and you clearly enjoy bossing her around." James grinned wickedly.

"I think what he enjoys is the way she _obeys_ him," said Sirius.

"You are both deranged," said Remus, bemused.

"Oh, really? Let's see…" Sirius threw James a meaningful look. "Lindi, come here!" Sirius beckoned James who jumped up, sauntered across the room swinging his hips, and stood in front of Sirius.

"Yes, _Remus_," James said, mimicking a girl's voice.

"Lindi," said Sirius forcefully. "I want you to have sex with me–I mean _hex_ me!"

"Alright, _Remus_," trilled James, batting his eyes coquettishly.

Remus looked on, trying to appear unamused, while Peter sniggered.

"Here, Lindi, hold it like this," Sirius said, making a very obscene hand gesture.

"Alright, Remus," said James, barely able to contain his own sniggering as he imitated the gesture.

"Not so hard, Lindi," cried Sirius. "You're leaving nail marks!"

"Oh sorry, Remus," whined James. Peter chortled.

"Don't close your eyes, Lindi!" Sirius went on. "I want you to look at me when you shag me!"

"Yes, Remus…anything you say, Remus…"

Peter was now rolling with laughter as Remus shook his head and grinned from ear to ear. _So, that's what they were laughing at?_ he realized.

"See, Moony?" asked Sirius superiorly. "She brings out your masculine desire for dominance. It's really kind of sexy."

"I know I was getting turned on," said James. "There's something very erotic about a beautiful young thing submitting to a man like that."

"I'm sorry I missed it," said Peter.

"You didn't _miss_ anything, Peter," said Remus in total bewilderment. "These two _perverts_ we call our friends were _imagining_ things."

"Aw, you know we're right!" cried James.

"Then why did she fall all over herself, _literally_, trying to get out of the broom cupboard?" Remus asked.

"Because you didn't tell her _not_ to, did you?" asked Sirius matter-of-factly.

Remus simply stared at them, his mouth open in disbelief.


	20. Peter's Insight

**Chapter 20: Peter's Insight**

**Summary: _The Marauder's Map is a very handy tool for mischief making, but sometimes it shows more than you're bargaining for. When it does, Peter gives Remus some things to think about. _**

Friday evening, the Marauders were lingering over dinner in the mostly deserted Great Hall. James, Sirius and Peter tried to think of something fun to do while Remus skimmed the _Evening Prophet_. It had been a full day in classes, for which Remus was thankful, as it had been a much needed distraction from trying to figure out Lindi. Their eyes had met at breakfast and again at lunch, but both times she had smiled very awkwardly and looked away, glancing around furtively as if to see if anyone had noticed.

Remus peeked over the paper to the Ravenclaw table from time to time. Lindi was there, surrounded by her usual group of friends, Leanna, Constance and _Darlene_. But, like him, Lindi wasn't engaged in her friends' conversation. Instead, she had her nose buried in a book. He watched her pour over it intently and thought how nice it would be if they could get together later to discuss it…_Dream on, Remus._ He looked back down at the _Prophet_ and sighed, trying to focus on the article he was reading. He already had a headache, whether from his preoccupation with Lindi or the fact that the full moon was drawing near, he wasn't sure. Most likely, it was a little of both.

"Why are you reading that, Remus?" asked Peter, finishing his last bite of pudding. "There's never anything good in there anymore."

Remus looked over the top of the _Prophet_ and frowned. He would have preferred not to start the weekend reading about the most recent abductions or Muggle torture either, but he had been running late at breakfast and hadn't had the chance to read the _Daily Prophet_ then.

"Well, Peter, I would prefer to read good news, too. But it's really important to know what's going on in the world, don't you think?" Remus looked meaningfully at James and Sirius.

Professor Dumbledore had all but told the _Advanced Defense_ group that there was a fully fledged war on the horizon. Remus got the feeling that might have been why Dumbledore started giving lessons in Occlumency and Legilimency, although he couldn't understand why the Headmaster would have the likes of Severus Snape involved. But judging from the information they got from Dumbledore and everything Remus had read in the papers, it was just a matter of time before the growing tide of hate and prejudice started affecting even the students at Hogwarts. While Remus felt certain of their safety within the confines of the school grounds, under the protection of Professor Dumbledore, he couldn't help worrying about when they were off campus during breaks. Plus, one could be harmed in more ways than personal physical injury. If he wasn't overestimating the reign of terror threatening to be unleashed, it was just a matter of time before Ministry officials started arriving at the school to inform students that a loved one had been lost.

"Moony's right, you don't want things to sneak up on you and find yourself unprepared or ill-informed. That makes it easy to let yourself end up on the wrong side of things, Wormtail," said James thoughtfully. Remus knew the situation was grave when James and Sirius didn't make light of it.

"Fortunately for me," said Sirius ironically. "I'm very well informed about the kind of thinking behind this rubbish," he said, indicating the headline, _Hundreds Rally Outside Wizengamot: Seek Classification of Muggles as Beasts_. "I had the _privilege_ of growing up with it."

"The crazy thing is, half of those idiots probably have Muggle blood from somewhere down the line," James said with disgust.

"Well, if they get what they _think_ they want…many will be in for a very rude awakening," said Remus darkly. "If they establish the Registry for Half-breed _Muggle-wizards_, they won't be able to pretend anymore. You'll likely have more than a few of them switching sides when their names show up on it. Trust me…being _registered_ is not good for one's morale."

"You are r-registered?" Peter asked, looking horrified.

"Of course I am," said Remus, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "According to Dad, it was the first thing they did when they got me to the hospital. Mum and Dad had to fill out the Registry papers before anyone could treat me. They had to do it even before they knew I'd survive to actually _be _one." Remus smiled humorlessly as his friends looked furious. "That's the main reason Dad decided to leave the Ministry…he didn't want to be around people like that everyday."

"But that was in France, right?" asked James.

"Yes, but once you're registered, you have to check in annually to update your information. When we moved back to Britain, I had to be transferred to the Ministry of Magic Registry. The Department of International Magical Cooperation keeps close tabs on things like that," Remus said darkly. "Fortunately, they keep the register of underage werewolves sealed."

"I'm sorry, Remus. I never thought about that and you never said anything," said Peter in a small voice.

"Well, it's not exactly something one spreads around. It's not quite like telling someone you made _Witch Weekly's_ Wizard of the Month List, is it? 'Oh, you're on the Wizard of the Month List, well, look at this…that's me on the list of murderous beasts!'" Remus said and his friends smiled. Moony was back to his humorous, self-deprecating self.

"Well, ye great beast!" said Sirius in a good imitation of Hagrid. "What shall we do tonight? Since none of us have managed to snag a date for the evening."

"Speak for yourself," said Peter haughtily. "I'm going out with Marci. I guess I better go get ready if I don't want to go in my school robes," he said as he checked his watch. He stood up and walked off.

"I sense a great disturbance in the cosmos," said James bleakly, as he watched Peter leave. "How can it be that Wormtail is the only one of us who can get a girl?"

"Oi, I can get girls!" said Sirius. "So could the two of you if you didn't have to set your standards so impossibly high!"

"Speaking of which…Dellington is still over there," said James with a nod. "We should get Evans to set up a little impromptu party and invite Dellington to join us. Maybe she'd be more relaxed if you had a chance to hang out in a more _social_ atmosphere."

"And you wouldn't mind an excuse to get Evans a little more _relaxed_ either, would you, Prongs?" asked Sirius.

James shrugged but certainly didn't argue.

"It's rather short notice for a party," said Remus, looking over at Lindi. "She probably already has plans."

"Well, it can't be anything special if she's still sitting in the dining hall reading…whatever that is," Sirius said as he strained to read the book title.

"It's _The Dark Arts Outsmarted_," said Remus.

"How can you see that?" asked James, awed.

"I can't, I just recognize the book," Remus answered, looking pleased. "It's one I suggested she read." _At least she values my suggestions_, he thought.

"Well, like I was saying, if she had plans, she'd be in her room getting all dolled up instead of reading about the Dark Arts," said Sirius.

"Good point!" said James cheerfully.

"She doesn't need to get _dolled up_, now does she?" asked Remus.

"Another good point," said James less cheerfully.

As Sirius was about to argue, Darlene stood up and the others followed, leaving Lindi obliviously engrossed in her reading. Leanna called to her as they walked towards the doorway and Lindi looked up.

"Oh…yeah, I'll be right there. I want to finish this chapter," she said, distractedly.

"Well, hurry up!" called Darlene, a little louder than necessary. "You know _Jeffrey _doesn't like to be kept waiting!"

Remus got the distinct impression that this had been said for _his_ benefit, and he didn't particularly like it. But, he felt some consolation at Lindi's response: a rather disgruntled shrug.

"He'll live," Lindi said, and buried her nose back into the book.

The three girls stood waiting, and passed annoyed looks amongst themselves. Finally, Lindi closed the book and summoned her broomstick from beneath the table. Remus wondered if she had Quidditch practice and if that was why Jeffrey Daniels would be waiting for her. He desperately hoped so. But when he asked James about it, he was informed that it would be an act of desperation to practice the night before a match.

"You don't want one of your players injured, do you? They probably just have a strategy meeting or something," said James.

"Right, why else would Daniels be waiting for her? She wouldn't possibly go out with that arrogant berk," insisted Sirius.

Feeling slightly comforted, Remus made his way back to the common room with his friends and found it crowded and noisy. Gryffindors of all ages were enjoying the Friday evening. The Marauders booted a group of second years out of their favorite seats and busied themselves with a round of Gobstones, but they bored of it quickly. James seemed distracted and kept looking around. No doubt he was searching for Lily Evans, but she wasn't in the room.

"You might as well stop looking, James," Remus said. "Lily has a Charms Club meeting with Professor Flitwick. They've taken over the decorations planning for the ball. She says it's going to be really lovely."

"Right, just lovely," sneered Sirius. "The Crystal Ball: Looking forward to a brilliant future…_ughh_! I can't believe our suggestion for a theme didn't win."

"Yes," said Remus dryly. "Amazing that _Night of the Naughty Nymphets_ didn't win. I can't understand it."

"Hey, it came close," said Sirius, laughing. "If all the wusses hadn't caved in to their _girlfriends_, we'd be looking forward to the _naughty nymphets_ instead of the _Crystal Ball_. That just sounds so bloody _formal_."

"Well, that's the point, isn't it, to give us experience in formal occasions?" Remus said reasonably.

"Does that mean it can't still be _fun_?" hissed Sirius. "I had my fill of uppity, posh _occasions_ growing up in the _Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_, thanks."

"Well, your mum won't be here, and you won't have to dance with your creepy, ancient Aunt Elladora," said James with a shiver. "Besides, I'm sure we can figure out a way to liven things up."

For the next few minutes, James and Sirius discussed the possibilities for making what they thought sounded like an _uppity,_ formal event quite fun. Just because they were going to be in dress robes didn't mean they couldn't get into mischief. Remus couldn't help hoping they would get to the ball and realize they could actually have fun without being uncivilized. He rather liked the idea of his hands around the waist of a lovely girl as they drifted across the Great Hall, dancing amid sparkling candlelit decorations. Any excuse to hold Lindi close; he didn't care if they called it the _snooty git_ ball. Of course, he wished he was a better dancer…and, more importantly, he wished he had a better chance of actually taking Lindi.

Soon they had tired of discussing the _Crystal Ball,_ and were looking for something else to do.

"We could go to the library and get started on our Halloween Masquerade projects," suggested Remus.

"Nah, it's Friday night, only a load of swots will be in there. Besides, Sirius and I already picked our alumni," said James.

Remus looked shocked. "You've actually started a project more than a night before it's due? I'm impressed, and a little worried. Should I get Madam Pomfrey?"

"Watch it, Moony, or you'll end up going as Mum's cousin," said Sirius.

"And why would I do that?" asked Remus.

"Because she fits right in with our theme for the evening and if you're going to be a smart arse, we'll make you be the woman!" said Sirius.

"We have a _theme_ for the evening? Why does that make me nervous?" asked Remus.

James and Sirius shrugged innocently and proceeded to fill Remus in on the details of their masquerade theme. Remus knew it wasn't exactly what Professor Dumbledore had in mind for creating inter-house appreciation, but it did _technically_ adhere to the rules he had set.

Once they had given Remus the choices and decided which Marauder would take each of the alumni they had selected, they decided to do a little work on the Marauder's Map. They left the common room and went to retrieve it.

"We need to finish plotting the Slytherin hole before we forget it," said Sirius as he pulled the parchment from his drawer.

"I still can't believe we made it in that far without getting caught," said James. "What a stroke of luck that it was Regulus and his little girlfriend that came along."

"Yeah, he was so busy listening to her telling him what a _god_ he is, the stupid prat didn't even hear their portrait call him," said Sirius. "I was just glad he didn't hear me _gagging_."

They sat on the floor and Sirius spread the map out before them and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." They watched as the parchment came to life, the outlines of the castle corridors and rooms filling with tiny dots. "Now, let's see what everyone is up to tonight."

"I want to see if the searching feature is working properly," said Remus.

"Alright, let's find Wormtail," agreed James. "Locate Peter Pettigrew," he said, tapping the map twice with his wand.

Suddenly, a round reddish glow erupted from the midst of many small black dots crowded together in the school theater. It glowed briefly and then the name Peter Pettigrew stood out from the blur of names before receding slowly back into the cluster. The search had worked.

"What is going on in the theater?" asked James.

"It's the Literary Contest," said Remus. "Marci submitted an entry."

"What?" asked James blankly.

"You know, the contest for poetry and essays about Hogwarts and its history…the one for the Anniversary Celebration…" Remus sighed, rolling his eyes at the dumbfounded looks on his friends' faces. "Don't you ever read the announcements on the bulletin board?"

"Not usually, no," said James. "I figure if there is anything worth doing, I'll hear about it."

"Well, did you hear about the Field Day team signups?" asked Remus. "Because I think the two of you will want to participate in that and the deadline to register is tomorrow."

"What kind of field day is it?" asked Sirius.

"A lot of sporting competitions like broom racing, Quaffle free throwing, Bludger pelting…" said Remus.

"Now that sounds like fun," said James, "much better than a bloody poetry contest. Poor Wormtail, the sap."

"You know, some poetry is very beautiful," said Remus, earning rather disdainful smirks from his friends.

"I don't see you in there, Moony," snorted James.

"Well, maybe not, but if you look more closely, you'd probably see Lily is there, or she will be. I know she was planning to go after her meeting. She had an entry that was quite good," said Remus. "And I _am _going when they actually start the reading at eight. Right now they are having a reception for the entrants and their guests."

"Who did Evans invite?" asked James eagerly. He leaned over the map and pulled out his wand.

"She was going with Celia and Hestia Jones, that second year," said Remus, smiling at the obvious relief on James' face. James replaced his wand.

Suddenly, Sirius leaned over the map and made a curious hum.

"Hmmm…What have we here?" he asked. "Looks like a little party in Ravenclaw tower. I would have expected all of the swotty pinheads to be at the poetry reading."

As Sirius indicated, there was a tightly packed cluster of dots within the area of Ravenclaw Tower's common room. It was impossible to read the names as they were so crowded together they became one black blur, just as the names in the theater had been. But, unlike the dots and names in the theater, these were in a strange state of motion. They seemed to be moving in an oddly uniform pattern around the room and blurred names would jump from one dot to another as if they were confused about which dot they belonged with.

"What the devil is going on in there?" asked James.

"Do you suppose the map is malfunctioning somehow?" asked Remus.

"Nah, everything else looks normal," said Sirius and then his face took on a wicked grin. "Maybe they're having some sort of ritual or, better yet, an orgy or something," he joked. "I can't believe we weren't invited." He gave a huge mocking pout and James laughed.

"Right, I'm sure that's it; you know how insane those Ravenclaws are," said Remus sarcastically. "Having an orgy right in the middle of the common room sounds just like something they would do. Professor Flitwick probably charmed some fertility statues for decorations…" Remus shook his head at his sniggering friends. "It's probably a problem with our plotting. We must have the walls improperly marked and it's causing the images to blur or something. We need to get back in there and finish mapping those spaces."

"You just want an excuse to sneak into Dellington's room, Moony. Besides, my theory is much more interesting," said Sirius. "I wonder who is at the orgy." He tapped the map and said, "Focus."

The Ravenclaw area expanded to fill a third of the parchment, revealing individual dots and names where there had once been one large shifting blur. Remus looked at the names that had suddenly come to a halt next to their own dots and felt as though the bottom had fallen out of his stomach.

There, just off to the side of the main cluster of dots, was one labeled Lindinara Dellington…and near to its side stood Jeffrey Daniels. They were obviously standing together, apart from the rest of the room's occupants. Remus tried to tell himself that they were probably discussing the upcoming Quidditch match. But when Daniels' dot suddenly overlapped Lindi's so that the two seemed to become one dot with two names, he gave up that hope. There was only one way for names to end up sharing a dot on the Marauder's map and that was if the people represented where _very_ close together, as in bodies touching. So, unless Lindi was choking and Daniels had started giving her CPR…Remus didn't even want to think about it. He was fairly sure that, as a proud pure-blood wizard, Daniels was unlikely to know, much less resort to using, Muggle CPR.

"Doesn't look like she was going to a Quidditch strategy meeting after all, since most of these people aren't on the team," Remus said evenly, trying hard to hide his disappointment.

He knew there was only one explanation for it and gauging from the furtive glances James and Sirius were giving each other, they knew it as well. A surge of emotion roiled in his gut, but he wasn't quite sure how he felt: surprised, jealous, sad, and he had to admit, at least to himself, a little angry. He had been so sure Lindi liked him. He forced himself to breathe calmly and, if not for the slight flare of nostrils and knotting of muscle at the hinges of his jaw, one would never suspect the magnitude of disappointment Remus was feeling. Only his closest friends would notice and realize how badly he wanted to storm into Ravenclaw tower and curse Daniels into the slimy louse they all thought him to be. But his friends also knew him well enough to know he would never do it. Remus couldn't very well blame Daniels for wanting her. He had no right to be so upset, really…he had no claim on her…

"That _bitch_!" hissed Sirius, his own nostrils flaring widely.

"Don't call her that, Sirius; she hasn't done anything to deserve it," said Remus quietly as he tapped the spot on the parchment and muttered something causing the enlarged area to return to its normal size on the map, blurring the dots and names once more.

"Oh yes she has! She shouldn't have been flirting with _you_ yesterday if she was going to be snogging _him_ today," argued Sirius. "If there is anything I can't stand, it's a tease."

"Aw, come on, Padfoot…you're the biggest tease in school," James said lightly. Remus got the feeling James was trying to divert the conversation and he was very thankful for the attempt, though he didn't expect it to work.

"Oh, no! I may be a _flirt_, but I am _not_ a tease. There is a big difference! I only flirt if I'm willing to carry through on it!" Sirius looked indignant.

Remus wasn't sure he quite saw the distinction, but realized he wasn't as practiced in the subtle nuances of seduction as Sirius was. Still, he thought many of the hopeful girls Sirius had _flirted_ with in the past only to be left disappointed, might feel differently. Remus wondered if the willingness to carry through was enough, even if it never happened. But he didn't really want to get into a fight over semantics in regard to Sirius' personal relationships. He only hoped Sirius would extend him the same courtesy.

"Lindi, on the other hand, makes a regular practice of flirting with Moony and then leaving him standing there wondering what's going on! _That_ is teasing," snapped Sirius.

"I don't know that she has really been _flirting_ with me," said Remus, lamely. Clearly, Sirius was more than willing to get into an argument about Remus' personal affairs. It irritated Remus, even though he knew Sirius was probably right.

"Oh, come _off_ it, Moony!" snapped Sirius. "She's been flirting with you since Dueling Club started. You aren't blind and neither are we…the way she looks at you, blushing and batting those bedroom eyes of hers… that coy little smile. It's the same one she gave _me_ before she got scared off. _That _is flirting, mate!"

"You know she can't help the way she looks. She's just trying to be friendly and she's shy…" argued Remus.

"Rubbish!" cried Sirius.

"Look, she obviously likes Daniels. Yes, she is nice to me, but if I read more into it than I should, then it's my problem, not hers," said Remus firmly, hoping the discussion would be closed.

"Don't go blaming yourself, Moony," said James. "I would have bet ten galleons that the two of you were going to be snogging within the week. She may not be able to help the way she looks, but she _can_ help the way she acts, and she acted like she was flirting."

"Well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?" asked Remus calmly.

"_Argh_!" growled Sirius. "You are so bloody _infuriating_ when you act like that!"

Remus looked surprised. "How am I acting?" he asked.

"The way you always act…Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected," snapped Sirius. "As if it doesn't bother you at all when I know it does!"

Remus closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

"What would you like me to do, rant obscenities? Call her names? Maybe hex everything in sight?"

"Yeah, that's a start!" Sirius said hotly.

"Well, I won't. I honestly don't believe she deserves to be called names. But if this will make you feel better…" Remus pointed his wand and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly, their vision was obscured by a mass of white feathers floating slowly back to the floor. The pillow lying on Remus' bed had exploded with a soft puffttt. He looked through the mass of drifting feathers and saw Sirius smirking at him. "Well, do you feel better now?" Remus asked.

"Maybe a little, how 'bout you?" asked Sirius, snidely.

"No, actually," said Remus. "Nothing is changed, except now I have a mess to clean up."

With that, Sirius threw his hands up in frustration and stormed out of the room, muttering something about raiding the kitchen. He almost knocked Peter over as he came through the door. Peter looked around quizzically at the feather covered room. James held up his hand in a silencing motion and made a _don't ask_ sort of face.

"You know," Remus said as he finally looked away from the empty door. "I don't recall him getting this hostile towards her when she wouldn't go out with _him _and caused him to lose our bet last year…or has it just been festering since then?" Remus looked at James as he proceeded to gather up the feathers and stuff them back into his pillow.

"He doesn't care about that. I honestly think he likes her more _because_ she rejected him," said James. "If that had really upset him, he would have done something about it. You know Padfoot…don't get mad, get even."

Remus considered all the times Sirius had embarrassed Lindi last term. Maybe that was his way of getting even…

"Sirius and Remus are fighting over Lindi?" asked a very confused Peter.

"They're not fighting _over _her, Wormtail, just _about_ her," answered James. "I mean, Sirius likes her more as a person; he has respect for her…or he _did_, anyway. But, you know how he is. He's much more protective of his friends than he is of himself. You just don't mess with Padfoot's mates."

"If that's it, why hasn't he hexed Evans ages ago?" Remus asked pointedly. "You want to go out with _her_ every bit as badly as I want to go out with Lindi and have for _much_ longer."

"Yes, that's true," said James slowly. "But, Moony, there is a _big_ difference."

"Really? What might that be?" Remus asked, getting annoyed with James patronizing tone.

"Evans has never given the least indication that she feels anything but _contempt _for me. No one could accuse _her_ of leading _me_ on in anyway. Lindi, on the other hand, gave every indication she liked _you_." James shrugged. "So, there you go, but thanks so much for making me admit that sad fact."

Remus contemplated the situation for a moment. He felt slightly better about his disagreement with Sirius, although he still didn't think Sirius should be so irate with Lindi. After all, Remus wasn't a baby, and he already had an overprotective mother at home. He had learned to deal with rejection long ago and, technically speaking, this wasn't even a rejection. Lindi had saved him from that by not allowing him the chance to ask her out in the first place. Still, Remus had to admit his terrible disappointment, if only to himself. But he would get over it…eventually.

Remus finally had the feathers back inside the pillow and with a wave of his wand the case was stitched back neatly. Then he turned to Peter, wondering what he was doing back so early. Remus asked, anxious for anything to take his mind off those two overlapping dots on the bloody Marauder's Map.

"Marci didn't appreciate me laughing at her when she got bumped and spilt pumpkin punch all down her front," said Peter. Marci had been embarrassed in front of several of her friends and sent Peter away without so much as a goodnight wish, much less anything better. So, all in all, the Marauders were _not_ having a lucky night.

Finally, Sirius returned holding a tray of pasties and biscuits and a large silver pitcher of milk. He looked at Remus and lifted the tray slightly.

"Peace offering," Sirius said quietly.

Remus smiled appreciatively. "Gratefully accepted," he said, taking a pasty with one hand and a few biscuits in the other then plopping down on his bed.

Sirius put the tray on James bed, sitting down next to it, and they helped themselves. Sirius summoned glasses and filled them with milk, giving one to James and Peter. Then, he got up and started to hand Remus one.

"I still think you are being way too easy on her, but it's your business," Sirius said.

Remus looked him in the face and gave a small smile. "Remember last term, when you told me Darlene would get over it; that we hadn't even _really _been out? Well, Lindi has _never _agreed to go out with me." Sirius gave him an irritated glare and looked as if he wanted to start arguing again, but stopped when Remus held up his hand. "I promise, Padfoot, if she were my girlfriend…if I had _any claim_ on her at all, I would throw a wobbler sufficient to quench even your hot-blooded ire."

James, Sirius, and Peter looked at one another. They didn't seem convinced and Remus could tell they were picturing him throwing a wobbler, something he hadn't done since…well, he hadn't even done that when he was a toddler. But Sirius shook his head and smiled crookedly. Remus was glad the dispute was over. It had been one of the worst they had ever had.

Saturday morning, Remus slept in. It had taken him a while to fall asleep. He was feeling rather peaky and didn't want to do anything but lounge around in his pajamas, reading in bed all day. Of course, he knew if he did, Sirius and the others would think he was depressed, and he wouldn't get a moment's peace. He wasn't exactly depressed, though he was rather glum and on top of the increasing fatigue that always occurred at this time in the moon's cycle, he had to force himself to get up and dress for the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. He consoled himself with the thought that the match should be over quickly.

Ravenclaw was looking unbeatable this year, much to James frustration. James was, without question, the best Chaser in the school; probably one of the best in Hogwarts history. But, even James couldn't win a Quidditch match by himself and the rest of the Gryffindor team had some holes in it. They had won the Quidditch Cup the previous year, but after graduating their best Beater, a Chaser and their Seeker, it wasn't likely to be repeated this year. Ravenclaw, on the other hand, had only lost one Chaser and, as much as Remus hated to admit it, Daniels was very good. Plus, as long as Lindi kept her head in the game, she was very likely to come up with the Snitch and give Ravenclaw the win. Lindi's only problem, relating to Quidditch that is, seemed to be that, while she _liked_ to play, she didn't really _love_ Quidditch the way James did. She could let herself become distracted by the thing she did love…flying. Remus had sometimes gotten the impression that she had to force herself to remember she was supposed to be looking for the Snitch. _There you go, Remus…already thinking about her. Stop it!_

He grabbed his cloak and joined his friends in the common room. They had brought him some toast and a couple of sausages, as he had slept through breakfast. He forced himself to eat a bit and they headed to the pitch.

The match went longer than Remus had expected. Lindi didn't seem to be very focused on the game and Daniels had spent a considerable amount of time flying along side her, presumably in his Captain capacity, to get her to concentrate. Remus got the feeling Daniels was quite conflicted now, due to his new status as Captain _and_ boyfriend. He didn't seem nearly so willing to yell at her, but his frustration was evident, as was Lindi's annoyance with his constant attention. Remus couldn't help but enjoy the notion that their new relationship was already undergoing a bit of a strain. His enjoyment was short lived.

Lindi finally caught the Snitch in a close race with the Hufflepuff Seeker. Luckily for Ravenclaw, once Lindi spotted the Snitch, it was nearly impossible to out-fly her, even when the other team had a head start, as the third year Hufflepuff Seeker had. The after-game celebration on the field was standard as the winning team came together to congratulate each other. Remus had seen it happen before, but somehow, it was hard to watch this time, as Daniels scooped Lindi up into his arms and swung her around in victory. Remus was only thankful that there was no kissing involved.

The next few days crept by until it was the night of full moon. The hours leading up to it had been agonizing. Remus was too ill and exhausted to focus on anything that could take his mind off of his feelings for Lindi. He knew this was no ordinary crush. He was very nervous about the upcoming Dueling Club practice. He hadn't spent any time with Lindi since she and Daniels had become a couple and Remus didn't know how he was supposed to work closely with her while hiding his feelings, especially after he had been so obvious in the broom cupboard last week. Of course, it would likely be just as awkward for her. How could he have been so stupid…thinking she was pushing him away because of Darlene when, really, it must have been her feelings for Daniels? He dreaded the next practice. It was going to be impossible to pretend everything was normal. Remus knew he would never have the energy to hide his feelings, especially since he would already be so weakened and exhausted by the transformation. As if things weren't bad enough, he would have to be up late the night following the full moon, for Astronomy practical…with Ravenclaw…_Craaap!_

As Remus settled himself in at the Shrieking Shack, he thought back to the conversation he and Peter had had the previous night. The two of them had returned to the room while James and Sirius entertained their housemates in the common room.

It had started over dinner when they had watched Daniels escorting Lindi into the Great Hall. Lindi had given Daniels a rather odd, even uncomfortable look when he placed his hand on her lower back, steering her towards their table. Her response had struck Remus as strange since this was a very common gesture among couples, particularly those who were close enough to _share dots_ on the Marauder's Map.

"What is her problem? Why is she with that git? She doesn't even like him to touch her!" hissed Sirius. "Did you see that? She just cringed."

"Who knows? Maybe she's going out with him to prove to Wilkins she isn't messing around with Moony," suggested James.

While they had all noticed a chill between Lindi and Darlene whenever Remus was around, Remus felt it was highly unlikely to be a factor in Lindi's relationship with Daniels. It _did _seem that Darlene was under the impression there was something going on between Remus and Lindi. _Stupid girl_, he thought, glumly. But Remus knew Lindi wouldn't date Daniels for Darlene's sake.

"Do you honestly think she would snog someone she doesn't really like, just to make her friend feel better?" Remus asked, shaking his head dismally. "Especially when she _isn't_ messing around with me. This is ridiculous. I'm going to the room. I need to get some work done while I can still function."

When Peter had returned to their room about an hour later, Remus was struggling to stay focused on his Potions homework. He had been working on it in hopes that something so precise and complicated would keep his mind from roaming, but he had been sorely mistaken. Shortly after Peter's arrival, Remus abandoned his attempt to complete the assignment and put his quill down rather harder than he needed to.

"You know, Remus…Sirius is right…it's alright to talk about it. I know you really like her. You _are_ allowed to be upset or angry or…whatever." Peter said.

Remus greatly appreciated Peter's sincerity; he knew he could confide in any of his best friends. At least, he knew they could be trusted not to judge him. Still, the tendency to hide the intimate details of his life had been ingrained at such a young age that it was a hard habit to break. The years of monthly transformations had instilled an unwavering self-sufficiency for dealing with crises of any kind. Remus had learned long ago not to complain or expect help when there was absolutely nothing anyone could do.

"Talking about it won't change anything, Peter, but thank you," he said softly.

"Well, most people feel better when they get stuff off their chest," said Peter earnestly. "So, if you change your mind, I'd be glad to listen if you feel like talking, or…ranting or raving or anything…well, except crying. I think that would freak me out a bit."

Remus chuckled for the first time in days. Peter could be very dry and sometimes Remus couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny or not. But, considering that his friends were well aware of what Remus' life could entail and none of them had ever witnessed him shed a single tear, Remus felt sure that Peter was teasing him. After a moment of companionable silence, Peter started to pull out his own homework.

"You know, I really thought she liked me," Remus said quietly but very matter-of-factly.

"We all did, Remus. I still think she likes you but…" Peter hesitated.

"But, what?"

"But, I don't know. It's really weird. I have to agree with James and Sirius; I don't know why she's with Daniels. People usually look happier to see someone they've only just started dating, don't you think?" Peter asked thoughtfully.

"I think she is just uncomfortable showing affection in public," said Remus.

"Well, that sure didn't stop her hugging _you_ the other day at practice," Peter pointed out. "I thought she was going to snog you on the spot."

Remus' stomach lurched at the memory. "She was just excited. She hugged Daniels when they won Quidditch Saturday."

"Actually, _he_ hugged _her_," Peter said to clarify. "Honestly, Remus, she acts more like she likes you than she does him."

"Trust me, that wasn't _my_ dot she was sharing Friday night." Remus voice actually held some emotion…_Anger_…_Pain_? It was a little of both. He sighed tiredly. "It's just as well. Everyone keeps saying they don't understand why she's with him, but I think he's a rather obvious choice for her."

"Why would you say that?" asked Peter, his brow knitted in confusion.

"Come on, Peter…I would never say it to _her_, but Adamson's not completely wrong. Lindi _could_ use someone who can protect her and take care of her. She's so smart, but when it comes to real life, she's pretty naïve. I know she's young, but she only has one more year at school after this. Then she'll be on her own."

"Daniels can't protect her as well as you could. You are much better at Defense than he is…"

"I'm not just talking about being her bodyguard," Remus said heavily. "I'm talking about _real_ security. Something women want, and I certainly can't promise her, can I?"

Peter seemed to realize this was a rhetorical question and stopped himself responding, though Remus could tell he had wanted to argue.

Remus continued wearily. "Daniels may not be my favorite person, but he can definitely offer her a great deal. Having a father who is one of the most senior Ministry officials and a member of the Wizengamot has to have its privileges. Plus, he's pretty ambitious, himself, and he has the brains and ability to support it. Let's face it, now that word's getting around that Sirius has been disinherited, Daniels will probably move straight to the top of the eligible bachelors list."

Peter snorted in grudging agreement but stayed quiet otherwise, allowing Remus to continue.

"Then, you consider what her life has been…apparently no father, moving from place to place, losing her mum and then her aunt. She has no parents, no real home; she deserves some stability and security." Remus shrugged resignedly. "I can't blame her for picking someone like Daniels. It's really awfully selfish of me to even try to get her to like someone like me." Peter bristled visibly.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting the same things everyone else wants, Remus. I know I don't know her as well as you do, but Lindi doesn't seem too fussed about her lack of _security_ or stability. I agree she can be rather naïve, but she also seems fairly independent in some ways. She already had a job and she gets irritated when people try to do things for her, as _you_ well know." Peter gave him a pointed smirk. "I get the feeling what she wants more than having someone to take care _of_ her is someone to really care _about_ her and that is _not_ Daniels. He might be rich and good-looking with a powerful family, but he has as much warmth as a Siberian Ice Demon." Peter shook his head. "You know he only wants her because she's gorgeous. Daniels only cares about himself. Sure, he'd buy her anything she wanted, give her fancy presents, take her to posh parties, but do you really think that's what Lindi wants…to end up Daniels' trophy?"

"Of course not, but maybe he really likes her." _How could he not?_ Remus wondered innocently. He simply could not imagine anyone not liking her, although he couldn't help but remember Daniels sniggering along with Avery and the others at Dueling Club tryouts. _But now he's gotten to know her better…_

"Come on, Remus, not everyone is like you. A lot of guys wouldn't see past her looks. Take Sirius, sure he started to like her after a while, but he only wanted to get her in the broom cupboard for her…er…well, we both know it had nothing to do with how nice or smart she is." Peter's face turned pink. "And that's why she didn't want to be with him. She didn't care that he was really good-looking or from a rich family or really smart and clever and popular. That stuff doesn't matter to Lindi. I don't know why she decided to be with Daniels, but I don't think it will take her long to figure out he's not the bloke she wants either."

Remus had gone to bed thinking of Peter's words. Peter could be a real dunderhead at times, but he also had moments of great insight. The truth was, they didn't give Peter credit for being as clever as he was. As Remus drifted off into a fitful sleep, he hoped with all his might that this was one of the times when Peter was right.

Now, sitting alone on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, naked, waiting for moonrise, Remus reconsidered what Lindi might want and all that a man like Daniels could offer her. How could he compete with that? _What could you offer her?_ he wondered, feeling the first shudder of pain as the transformation began. _Life with a blood-thirsty raging beast!_ He fought to stifle the pain-filled cry that was escaping through his clenched teeth. _You have some qualities he is rather lacking…_ Remus heard his father's words and was comforted as he felt the bone splintering change engulfing him. _Just don't sell yourself short!_ Now he didn't even try to hold in the agonized scream. _Could anything you have to offer her ever make up for this?_ But, he couldn't hear the bloodcurdling howl that was his reply.


	21. Confusion

**Chapter 21: Confusion**

**_Summary: Poor Remus! He has always looked at things with cool logic. But he discovers that in matters of the heart, logic sometimes fails, leaving one dazed and confused. _**

**_A/N: I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you to visit my profile page. I have links to my lovely story banner (My fantasy of Remus and what I think Lindi looks like)! _**

Remus opened his eyes painfully and looked around to gain his bearings. It was always the same. You'd think, after all these years, he wouldn't be so disoriented when he awoke from the transformation. As he lay on the hard floor amid the old blood stains, remnants of transformations prior to his friends' intervention, he tried to focus on the last thing he remembered before being so viciously interrupted. _Lindi_. The thought invoked a low groan. Somehow, he found it even more difficult to imagine himself and Lindi happily ever after when he was sprawled naked on a filthy floor with every cell of his body twitching in pain. Remus was not prone to self-pity, but facts were facts. Given the choice between just about any of the _healthy_, promising young wizards Lindi could have if she wanted them, and himself…well, only a complete idiot would put money on the werewolf getting the girl.

But, _dammit! _He still wanted her!

He dragged himself up off the cold floor and sat with his back against the wall. He heard the door creak and saw Sirius peek in before opening it to allow the Marauders through. James had Remus' clothes for him and with their help, he managed to dress and climb the stairs to the bedroom above before Madam Pomfrey arrived to examine him and treat his injuries. Then she would give him the pain-relieving potion so that he could make the walk back through the tunnel to the castle. His friends barely had time to get him into the four-poster when they heard the trap door slam and Madam Pomfrey call to Remus. She was always very prompt. When he was younger, she had arrived moments after moonset, but now that he was older and had stopped injuring himself so badly, thanks to his friends, she always gave him a few minutes to get himself together. Remus greatly appreciated her respect for his privacy…and her indulgence for his modesty. Not to mention that her delay gave the Marauders a chance to get Remus situated and themselves hidden before she arrived. They had developed a well orchestrated ritual for caring for Remus; he was eternally grateful. If only things with Lindi could work so smoothly.

When the pain-relieving potion had taken effect, Madam Pomfrey escorted Remus back to the hospital ward where he slept most of the day. The nurse had insisted he take a sleeping draught when she noticed he had been sleeping much more fitfully than usual. Normally, Remus would sleep quite heavily on the morning-after, once she had dosed him with pain-relieving potion, but he had so much on his mind and kept having dreams he couldn't quite remember when he awoke. In addition to thoughts of Lindi, he was also curious to learn what the wolf had done to earn the rather nasty bite on his shoulder. He assumed it must have come from Padfoot since the wolf hadn't attacked _himself_ since the Marauders first started accompanying him at full moon. He certainly _hoped_ it was from Padfoot.

By late afternoon, Remus had been released from the nurse's care and groggily made his way to Gryffindor Tower, thankful classes were in session so he wouldn't run in to anyone in the passageways. He hated the way he felt after taking the sleeping draught on top of the pain potions. It always left him feeling like his brain was full of cobwebs. When he got to the dormitory, he treated himself to a long shower in the prefect's bathroom. By the time he was finished, his friends were waiting for him in their room. They informed him that the wolf had been a bit more aggressive than he had been lately, hence the need for Padfoot and Prongs to rough him up a bit when he had made a dash for the road to Hogsmeade. That explained the bite and increased soreness.

Remus wondered if his human emotions could somehow have leached into the wolf's. Could his anger and confusion over Lindi have affected the wolf's behavior? Or was it just coincidence? He had pondered the possibility many times before and always chose to believe it was impossible...Otherwise, the possibility would exist that the _wolf_ could leach into his _human_ mind, and that was a prospect far too intolerable for Remus to accept. Of course, it was the unfounded notion that werewolves were unstable and ruled by their wolfish side that created the fear-induced prejudice against them held by many in the wizarding world. But Remus accepted the findings of the topmost authorities in the field of lycanthropy: werewolves were _completely_ human and in control of their faculties at all times other than full moon. _As long as they choose to be_, he thought darkly, as he considered the likes of Fenrir Greyback and others who used their lycanthropy as an excuse to behave like animals. He hated those people for giving the prejudiced gits in the world an excuse to be.

Remus tried to shake the thoughts off. He hated feeling so bitter and glum; it just wasn't like him. Maybe if he took a nap and slept off the rest of the potions in his system he'd feel better. He couldn't think of eating, so while the others went to dinner, he climbed into bed and pulled the bed curtains together, forcing himself to think about what James, Sirius, and Peter had told him they had done during full moon. Remus didn't find it comforting to consider how close he had apparently come to attacking two people, but at least it took his mind off of _other_ things. And James and Sirius had been exhilarated.

The couple in question had gone behind the platform at the Hogsmeade station for a little hanky-panky, and almost ended up getting more than they bargained for. Thank God Padfoot and Prongs had been able to hold him off. But Remus had to admit the description James gave of the two lovers scrambling, half dressed, up the rocky bank from the lake when they heard the wolf's howl, was humorous.

"Bloody stupid git won't be getting lucky again anytime soon," laughed Sirius. "I couldn't believe he was just going to leave her there."

"Leave her? He was climbing all over her, the ruddy coward," said James.

"And he left behind a very nice warming blanket, to boot," said Peter, grinning and holding up a velvety cloth with smudged footprints across it.

With that image to distract him, Remus managed to fall into a deep sleep.

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Remus didn't want to awaken when Peter, his own face imprinted with lines from his sheets, shook him at eleven forty-five for their Astronomy practical. While his three friends didn't look nearly as bad as he knew _he_ did, the three Animagi had some pretty vivid circles under their own puffy eyes as they wordlessly pulled on their trousers and laced their shoes. They had obviously just dragged themselves out of bed after trying to make up for the previous night roaming under the full moon. The sight of James' drool crusted chin and Sirius' tonsil exposing yawn did a great deal to brighten Remus' mood. How could things really be _that_ bad with friends like his?

He managed to stay awake through Astronomy with a great deal of help from James' and Peter's elbows. Sirius was no help as he was busy catching more winks with his head propped up by his telescope. Lucky for Sirius, Leanna Haversham was looking out for him and poked him in the side whenever he started snoring. James normally would have done so, but Leanna seemed to be enjoying it and Sirius didn't grunt at her as much as he would James. So, with a knowing smirk, James left Sirius in Leanna's capable hands.

Remus expended most of his remaining energy forcing himself not to keep looking past Leanna to where Lindi stood. It was a struggle when she looked so lovely with the shimmering light of the nearly full moon dancing in her hair. Lindi had caught him staring at her once when she had glanced his way. She had a concerned look on her face, no doubt due to his sickly pallor. For a moment, he felt a surge of resentment towards her. Why did she look so concerned when she had picked Daniels over him? He really didn't want her pity. He wished it could have been cloudier so the moon wouldn't have been shining like a spotlight on his weary face. Of course, then it wouldn't have been casting its ethereal glow on hers, causing her eyes to sparkle as she looked into his. _Bloody hell, Remus, are you angry with her or not? Make up your mind before she drives you completely insane._ As often happened when he was looking at Lindi, he knew his feelings were written all over his face when she looked away, disconcerted, the blush on her cheeks evident even in the moonlight. And they all thought _James _made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around…

At last, the class was dismissed and they could go back to bed. Remus caught Lindi's eye one last time as they gathered their things. She smiled slightly but said nothing and left in the company of Leanna, Darlene, and Daniels. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Remus got the impression Lindi had intentionally made sure Leanna was between Daniels and herself. He knew he was being ridiculous. She shared his bloody dot, didn't she? But, at any rate, Remus didn't have to try to get back to sleep with the fresh image of Daniels guiding her down the narrow spiral staircase to the floor below.

By the time Dueling Club practice started the next day, Remus was feeling a little better, though the circles under his eyes didn't show it. He thought his _illness_ might actually turn out to be a convenient cover for his disappointment over Lindi. If she thought he was sick, she would attribute his lack of enthusiasm…alright, his outright foul temper, to his not feeling well, wouldn't she? He hoped so, as he leaned against the console under the bookshelf and anxiously watched her come into the Dueling Chamber.

Lindi seemed to be as nervous as he was. She struggled to look him in the eye when she walked over to where he stood. She obviously felt guilty for having broken his heart.

"Hello, Lindi," he said.

"Hello, Remus, I didn't expect to see you here," she said, casting him a worried glance.

"Sorry," he said, unable to catch the uncharacteristic snide tone in time. He _knew_ he wasn't going to be able to control his feelings in his current condition. He felt a pang of guilt when he saw the hurt look flash in her eyes.

"I didn't say I didn't _want_ to see you," she said in a small voice. "I just meant you looked so awful last night I thought you would be in hospital or confined to bed at least. Don't you think you should be? Look at you."

_Thanks, I look awful…that's much better_, he thought and she must have seen the self-conscious look on his face.

"I don't mean you look _awful_…well, yeah, you do, but not in a _bad _way, just in a _sick _way…I mean sick as in _ill,_ not like you look sickening or anything…"

And he found himself smiling down at her. No matter how hurt he was, he just could not stay angry with her. It wasn't her fault if she had feelings for another man.

"Don't worry about it, Lindi," he said kindly. "I _have_ been ill, but I'm feeling better."

"Good," she said and then took a small step back. "You aren't contagious are you?"

Remus smiled ironically. "No, not anymore."

"That's good; I don't want to catch anything with the Hogsmeade weekend in a couple of days. Hopefully you'll be feeling well by then," she said. "You _were _planning on going, weren't you?" she asked.

_I had planned on going with you but…_ "Yes," he said.

"Maybe I'll see you there," she said softly as her cheeks took on a pale tinge.

Why on earth was she blushing? Was she flirting with him? It was very subtle, but still… He had the incredible urge to ask, W_hat about Daniels_? but he didn't want to revive his foul mood. So, he smiled innocuously and said, "Yeah, maybe," and was even more confused by the slightly disappointed look on her face.

"Well, what are we working on today?" she asked, before he could make sense of it. "Do you want me to work with Lily and Peter? You don't really look up to having to deal with me today."

Remus knew he should say yes and save himself the torment of being so close to her. If she worked with someone else, it would prevent the temptation to grab her and ask her why she had tripped all over herself running away from him and what the devil she was doing with that prat, Daniels. But he couldn't tell her to work with anyone else. No matter how frustrated she made him feel, he still wanted to be with her, and Dueling Club practice was obviously going to be his only opportunity. That being said, Remus was determined not to embarrass himself as he had done the week before. He would keep things strictly professional and pay more attention to the rest of the team…even if it _killed_ him. So, he gave Lindi a copy of _Self-Defensive Spellwork_ and told her to pick a spell she wanted to learn. Then he set about getting practice underway.

When Remus finally returned to Lindi, he found she had chosen to learn _Protego_. He wasn't at all surprised since it was another spell that didn't require her to actually _hex _anyone. She simply had to block spells.

"You know, Lindi, one of these days you are going to have to actually hex me," he told her.

"Maybe so, but not _today_," she said with an impish smirk. He struggled not to smile at her playful smugness.

"Fine, but next time, _I_ pick the spell," he said. "But, _Protego_ will be good experience for you. This will give me the chance to attack you with a variety of hexes so you'll be able to see what they're like from the receiving end, assuming you don't succeed in blocking them." _Gotcha! Where is that smug smirk now?_ he thought as her chin dropped. "Maybe then you'll realize they aren't deadly and you won't be so uncomfortable casting them." He smiled quite deviously and turned to get into position.

After the way he had felt the last few days, Remus never would have dreamed he could be having so much fun with Lindi. If he didn't let himself think about those bloody dots on the Marauder's Map, he could almost imagine there was still a chance for him to date her. Of course, there was still that issue of her running like a scared rabbit…

She picked up _Protego_ more quickly than she had _Expelliarmus_. Remus decided she had quite a sense for self-preservation until Lily informed him that Lindi had mastered it last year during their tutoring sessions. He had forgotten about that. He gave Lindi a withering look.

"I can not believe you," he said incredulously.

"Thanks a lot, Lily," she muttered, embarrassed. "I still needed a refresher…"

"You are a sneaky little…" he couldn't finish for laughing at her. "That's it, we learn _Rictusempra_."

"Oh no, Remus…_please_…" Lindi begged. "I hate to be tickled!"

He gave her a wicked grin and walked back to his place. He let her worry for a moment, but then told her he would not be hexing _her_ since she needed to learn to _cast _it. "But I _will_ if you don't at least try!" He told her firmly.

Lindi tried, but couldn't seem to manage the spell and kept knocking books off of the shelves or leaving soot marks on the stone walls. When Remus saw that she was getting discouraged, he let her go back to _Protego_ and _Expelliarmus_ for a little duel. He would try to disarm her and she would shield herself. She could perform the shield charm, but she just wasn't quick enough for him. After making her chase after her wand eight times, he decided to _let_ her win. There was a brief moment of disappointment when she didn't run over and hug him in excitement as she had done the week before, but what he ended up getting was actually better. Lindi walked over to him and gave him a piercing look.

"Do you want me to have a false sense of security, Remus?" she asked softly. "I know you let me win." She gave him a teasing accusatory glare and he smiled innocently.

"I wouldn't _let_ you win," he lied. "You are just getting better."

"Rubbish!" she laughed. "I know you are going easy on me. Is it because I'm completely hopeless or are you just too ill to continue?"

_It's because I can't help myself, you make me weak._ "Actually, I feel surprisingly good and you are _not_ hopeless. I admit, I may have gone a _little_ easy on you, but only so you don't get discouraged," he said. "You _really_ are improving." And that's when it happened.

"Well, there was no way to go, but up," Lindi said. "And I _am_ learning at the feet of the master." The look she gave him could just as well have been a rogue Bludger the way it knocked the wind out of him. The way she lowered her long lashes and then peeked up, the merest trace of a demure smile on her lips…_That_ was flirting! Coming from Lindi, it was practically seduction!

He felt his cheeks start to blaze and was at a complete loss for words. He stared back at her until her own cheeks flushed and she started to sputter.

"I mean, I really…you are really…er… good…at dueling and…and you're a really good teacher…I mean you'd have to be…I couldn't help but get better, as bad as I was when we started…could I?"

Why was she so embarrassed? There was nothing wrong with flirting, especially with someone you already knew liked you. Then he remembered Daniels. What was Lindi doing? Could she really be that fickle? It didn't _seem_ like her, unless Remus had been reading her all wrong. But at that moment, he didn't care. All he knew was he wasn't giving up, not as long as she gave him looks like _that_.

He was on the verge of asking her to go to Hogsmeade with him, regardless of any plans she might already have, when suddenly, his feet were pulled out from under him and his head nearly slammed into the floor as he was pulled upside down and left dangling by his ankles.

"Bloody hell, Shacklebolt! You have to raise them up higher than that before you turn them over. You nearly bashed his brains in!" Sirius bellowed.

"Sorry! I'm really sorry, Remus," cried the second year.

"Let him down, Shackelbolt…before he passes out," said James.

Remus thought he just might. Hanging upside down would be bad enough ordinarily, but he was just starting to recover from the transformation and was still fairly woozy. With all the blood rushing to his head, he was really starting to feel sick. He needed to be let down quickly.

Unfortunately, Kingsley hadn't mastered the proper technique for the counter-jinx any more than he had the _Levicorpus_ jinx and Remus found himself hitting the hard slate floor with a thud. The wind was knocked out of him and his head was swimming. He could hear Lindi shriek. When he opened his eyes, she was kneeling over him. In the background, he heard Sirius yelling at Kingsley, but all Remus cared about was the way Lindi's hair was falling into his face as she leaned down to inspect the knot he felt forming on his forehead.

"Are you alright, Remus?" Lindi asked breathlessly, as she gently ran her hand across the injury.

"Crikey, that's some goose egg. Better get him to the hospital wing," said Peter.

Peter and James lifted him to his feet.

"I'm alright," said Remus. He wished they had left him on the floor. He liked Madam Pomfrey and all, but he had really been enjoying Lindi's bedside manner.

"You need to go, Remus," Lindi said. "You could have a concussion."

"But practice isn't over," said Remus. "And I wanted to see if you might like to go…" Remus noticed half the team was staring at him. _Bloody hell, you just almost asked her out in front of everybody. _"Er…go over _Rictusempra_ now."

"Lindi can practice with us, Remus," said Lily. "You need to go to hospital. Madam Pomfrey will probably have you fixed right up before practice is over. Now go on."

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James volunteered to escort Remus to the hospital ward and the two made their way through the corridor.

"So, are you going to tell me why Kingsley decided to hang me by my toes," asked Remus. He had a feeling it hadn't been Kingsley's idea.

"Nah," said James. "I don't think you'd be very happy about it."

"You think it would make me less happy than being dropped on my head in front of Lindi?" asked Remus. James nodded, trying not to grin. "Right, then you better not tell me. Not right now anyway," said Remus.

When James and Remus returned to Dueling practice, there were still a few minutes to go. Remus took the opportunity to check the team's progress, since he didn't want to be obvious by rushing over to Lindi when he first walked in the door. It had been tempting when he saw her smile brightly and give him a relieved look as she turned to watch him enter the chamber. As confused as she had him, at least Remus knew she felt concern for him. He stopped making rounds when he reached Sirius and James. Kingsley Shacklebolt apologized profusely and Sirius finally told him to get lost and stop worrying about it. Remus got the feeling Sirius was getting rid of Kingsley before the boy started offering up explanations for his actions, but Remus didn't really want to know. He didn't want an argument with Sirius to dampen his good mood.

"So, no real damage done, eh?" asked Sirius.

"Well, luckily Madam Pomfrey is adept at healing concussions," said Remus, "although she usually sees them from broomstick accidents or Bludger attacks and not from people being dropped on their heads by _second _years." Remus smirked at Sirius accusingly. Then he turned his attention to where Lindi was working across the room with Lily and Peter. She had obviously just been hit with a hex and was picking herself up off the floor, laughing. Remus smiled.

"Yeah, funny isn't it," said Sirius. "She's spent practically the whole time you've been gone on her arse. I have to admit, she's been a good sport, but I've still enjoyed it. I would have liked to see _you_ knock her on her bum, but you were too busy getting all chummy again. What's up?"

Remus wanted to know the answer to that, as well. He couldn't figure it out, himself.

"Come on, Moony," pressed James. "What were you and Dellington talking about? And don't say Dueling, because we saw you two making…what'd Evans call them…_goo-goo_ eyes at each other?"

Remus felt his face color and James and Sirius snickered.

"Let's just say, I'm starting to agree that Lindi might not be that happy dating Daniels," said Remus, glancing over and seeing Lindi climb up off the floor again.

"Sounds like you might be considering putting up a fight for her, Moony." James sounded all for this idea.

"That would be the Gryffindor thing to do," said Sirius, "especially since she so obviously wants you to. Just watch your back, Moony. Between Daniels and Wilkins…and whatever it is Lindi's playing at, you should be on your guard."

"You make it sound so dangerous," Remus said, with a small snort.

"Look at her," said Sirius, glancing her way. "Getting messed up with a girl like that is always dangerous. Before you know it, you're a goner." Sirius snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Across the room, Peter was helping Lindi up yet again. She was laughing as she rubbed her bum. She glanced around and caught Remus watching. When she graced him with a dazzling smile, Remus didn't say it to Sirius, but he was afraid it was too late…he was already gone.

"Gawd Blimey, Remus," said James. "I wish I had a camera. You should see your face."

Remus glanced at him distractedly. "Hmm?"

"You look like a love sick pup that's just lapped up a cauldron full of love potion!" quipped Sirius. "Who are you and what have you done with Remus Lupin?"

Remus' cheeks were ablaze but he couldn't help it. Sirius and James were laughing so hard people were starting to stare. Finally, James stopped laughing and looked thoughtful.

"I think it's time we get to know a little bit more about the delectable Miss Dellington," James said.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus.

"Just that, under the circumstances, I for one would like to know a little more about Lindi's views on the world, wouldn't you?" James gave him a meaningful look.

"To what circumstances are you referring?" asked Remus, mildly confused.

"Let's see, maybe that you are already arse over elbows for her and she could be a pureblood, prejudiced git," said Sirius.

"How could you even suggest that?" asked Remus. "You know she isn't like that. She's friends with Lily isn't she? And she said she likes Hagrid."

"That's true. But she is also friendly with _Snivellus_. All of her other friends are pureblood," said Sirius. Remus thought about this for a moment. He only new of three close friends, the three girls she was always with: Leanna, Darlene and Constance. All of them just so happened to be purebloods. Sirius continued. "Have you ever noticed she always wears traditional witches clothing? I mean, how many witches her age still wear corsets?"

"But they look bloody brilliant," said James. "Some traditions are definitely worth preserving and that is one of them. I wouldn't mind seeing Evans take up a more traditional approach to dressing if it meant wearing one." James looked in Lily's direction as his eyes glazed over dreamily.

"Oh, for the love of…snap out of it Prongs!" hissed Sirius. "I can only handle one love sick berk at a time." Sirius rested a mournful gaze on Remus. "How could you do this to me, Moony? You're supposed to be the sane one of the lot. I was counting on you to help me with this prat." Sirius jerked a thumb at James. "What's happening? We're Marauders for God's sake! Is Peter going to be the only one I can count on to keep his head?"

"Hey, Wormtail likes Lindi's corsets, too," said James.

"That's beside the point," snapped Sirius. "_Anyway_, we were discussing Lindi's rather pureblood tendencies. Like the fact that she's also snogging Mr. Pureblood-Poster-Child himself, even though she doesn't seem to fancy him much." Sirius paused again to let it all sink in. "I'm not saying I think she's a bigot, Moony. I just think it bears further investigation before you let yourself get in any deeper."

Remus wasn't sure why, but he was a bit irritated with his friends. For one thing, he didn't appreciate Sirius reminding him about Daniels. "Who are you, my parents?"

"No," answered Sirius. "We're your friends."

"He's right, Moony," said James. "You're the one who's usually so careful about letting people get close to you."

They stared at each other for a moment. He knew they were right. If anyone ever found out and revealed his secret, he'd never be able to finish Hogwarts. Then Remus looked back at Lindi. She was picking up her cushion and laughing with Lily and Peter. He thought about how much he enjoyed her company. Remus couldn't imagine getting along with her so well if she was a prejudiced git. But they had never specifically talked about things like that. Besides, you didn't have to be a complete _bigot_ to have prejudices. Most people had them. And it was one thing to hang out with Muggle-borns, but another thing entirely to willingly date a werewolf. He found it nearly impossible to imagine someone as softhearted as Lindi having strong prejudices against anyone. But still…

"Just how are you planning to do this investigation?" he asked.

"Thought we might try asking her some questions," said James.

"Gosh, why haven't I thought of that?" Remus said, smacking himself lightly in the forehead. "Lindi, would you consider snogging me even if I told you I'm a werewolf?" he whispered.

"Fortunately, we _do_ know how to be more subtle than that, Moony," James smirked. "We've been around you long enough to pick up a few things you know?"

Remus smirked back. Subtlety was not a characteristic he would generally associate with James and Sirius. Of course, that was only because they didn't really _want_ to be subtle. They were terribly clever and damn sneaky when they needed to be. If anyone could pull a covert investigation off right under someone's nose, it was these two. Remus was now curious to see how.

Practice broke up and most of the team members headed off to dinner. Remus was happy to see Lindi lingering with Lily and Peter and the three Marauders went to join them. They were discussing Lindi's practice.

"You just have to stop hesitating," Lily told her.

"You and Peter didn't give me a chance to hesitate. You're both so fast, I haven't even thought of an incantation before you've hit me," Lindi said. Remus noticed Peter beaming with pleasure. It wasn't very often that he was accused of being a fast dueler.

"Well, there's your problem. You can't think of it before you say it. It has to be spontaneous," said Sirius.

"Well, how am I supposed to know what to cast if I can't think first?" asked Lindi.

"Thinking's over-rated," said Sirius. "Go with your instincts."

"But my instincts tell me not to duel," said Lindi.

Sirius laughed. "I think your instincts are winning."

"Ah, come on Sirius, she didn't do that bad," said Peter. "She blocked a couple of hexes, didn't she, Lily?"

"A couple," said Lily generously. "But Sirius is right. It does have to be more instinctive, Lindi."

"It's a bit like flying," said James. "You don't think '_I'm going to turn left now'_ and then turn, you just turn with your gut. It's instantaneous, right? You follow your instincts."

"But, that's different…" Lindi said.

"No, it's the same thing. If you take the time to plan what you want to do, you'll be hexed for sure," said James.

Remus smiled sweetly at the look of consternation on Lindi's face. "It just takes practice, Lindi. You'll get there. Two weeks ago you couldn't cast a disarming charm. Today you were dueling with Lily and Peter."

"Yes, and I spent the whole time on my bum," she said with a grimace. "It's probably black and blue all over."

"Moony has a really good bruise balm he'd be glad to rub on that for you," said Sirius.

"Oh, really? Does it actually wor…" Lindi's eyes popped as she finally appeared to realize what Sirius had said. She glanced at Remus briefly and then refused to meet his eye again.

Remus glared at Sirius, who winked back, grinning. Sirius had more nerve than anyone Remus knew. Peter and James seemed to find it quite humorous but Lily rolled her eyes and looked at them scornfully.

"Ignore them Lindi. It's the only way to deal with them," said Lily. "But _I_ know something that _would _make you feel better. Remus, wasn't that one of your mum's care packages you got this morning?"

Remus smiled. He had a feeling he knew exactly what Lily was up to. "Yes, it was."

"Oh, Lindi, Remus has something guaranteed to make even a bruised bum feel better," Lily said temptingly. "Do you like chocolate?"

Lindi grinned. "Of course, who doesn't?"

"Well, Remus has chocolate, and not just _any_ chocolate…_Mrs. Lupin_ chocolate. It is heaven on earth."

Remus chuckled at Lily's dramatic tone. She had been singing his mum's praises since second year when Remus had shared some of the homemade candy his mum always sent right after his transformations. Mum said chocolate made everything better.

"Chocolate could cheer up the dead…" Mum had told him more than once. "Do you know it's the remedy for a Dementor attack?"

And so, she had been making him chocolate goodies every month since his bite, even though she knew it just didn't work for him the way it did for a Dementor attack. While it could warm away the bone chilling affects of the Dementor, Remus didn't need to be warmed after the full moon. After the vicious transformation, his bones, muscles and very blood felt on fire. He couldn't even stomach the richness of the chocolate right afterwards. So Mum sent it to him a couple of days after full moon every month. He had to admit, it did make him feel better. He loved chocolate, but he had a feeling it was the love and effort she put into it just for him that was the magic.

Of course, Lily didn't know all this. All she knew was that Rena Lupin loved her son and was an excellent chocolatier. After all the years of practice, Mum had gotten quite good at it and developed some truly spectacular treats. Remus didn't think anything in Honeyduke's could top it and he considered himself something of a chocolate connoisseur.

"Why don't you meet us back here after dinner?" Lily asked. "We can have some for dessert and hang out for a while. I mean, if that's all right with you, Remus?" She threw him a knowing grin.

"Sure," said Remus, trying to sound willing, but not too eager. Lily's matchmaking was getting better everyday.

Lindi finally looked back at Remus. For a brief moment, he thought she was going to agree, but then she frowned. "That sounds really good, but I can't. I already have plans after dinner." She looked at her watch. "Actually, I really need to go or I won't have time to eat, maybe another time, if you have any left." She wished them a good night and started to leave.

Lily looked at Remus and jerked her head in Lindi's direction. What did she expect him to do? Lindi had someplace to be; _she had_ _someone to meet_…Lily stared at him imploringly. Remus shrugged questioningly and Lily rolled her eyes in exasperation. "We'll walk with you, I'm positively famished," she said.

As they walked along, Lily was obviously determined to set up a little get-together before the weekend was over. She wasn't having very much luck. Lindi had already made plans for Friday night as well. Remus' stomach sank at the thought of Lindi sharing dots with Daniels two nights in a row. Of course, if he had checked, he might have had to witness a lot of dot sharing over the last week.

"You don't have a date, do you?" asked Lily.

"No," Lindi smiled, going a little red. "Just working on a Potions project."

"Ah, good," said Lily, a note of relief in her voice. Remus felt a little lighter himself. "Can't you just do it another time?"

"Not really, I've already told Severus I'd do it then."

"_Arrggghhh_," groaned James and Sirius as they stopped in their tracks. Remus could see the rant starting to roll off of James' tongue, but he bit it back when Lily stopped walking as well and looked his way. Sirius, on the other hand, felt no obligation to restrain himself.

"Why on Earth would you intentionally subject yourself to one minute with that greasy rotten git?" he asked.

Lindi blinked. "I know you lot don't get along with him, but Severus has been very helpful to me since I started at Hogwarts. Potions has always been one of my better subjects, but I was a bit behind when I transferred and he is really quite brilliant at it. Professor Slughorn suggested I work with him before O.W.L.s. Severus helped me achieve the O I got on them."

"O.W.L.s are over now. Why keep torturing yourself?" asked Sirius.

"I don't consider it torture. Actually, I find working with him quite stimulating."

"_Urgghhh_," James could no longer suppress the shudder that crept over him.

"Why do you dislike him so much?" asked Lindi.

"Well, its…" started Sirius.

"Don't say it's because he _exists_!" snapped Lily. "I really wish you all would just leave him alone. You only make things worse by tormenting him every chance you get."

"Well, he isn't exactly an innocent bystander, Lily," said Remus, gesturing to James to keep quiet.

"I realize that. But would it be so bad to let his taunts slide just once?"

"Yeah, it would," said Sirius.

"Well, then you'll never end this ridiculous feud you've got going. One of these days, it's going to get out of hand." Lily looked towards James. "More than it already has, and someone's liable to get hurt. I have no intention of being in the middle of it when it does."

"But, Evans, you're so…" James had that arrogant tone, but Remus cut him off.

"James," he said and shook his head to silence him. Lily was serious and James needed to keep his cheeky comments to himself for once. Lindi was looking around at them seeming rather amazed at the level of dislike they had for her study partner. "It's an old feud," Remus told her and smiled apologetically.

They resumed their walk to the Great Hall. "So, are you going into Hogsmeade this weekend, Lindi?" asked Lily.

"Yes, are you?"

"Definitely. What are your plans?" Lily asked.

"We're going to Madame Puddifoot's first and I'll stop in and see Rosemerta. I have to clear out my room so it's available for the Halloween rush. Then, we'll just wander around," said Lindi. "Maybe I'll see you there."

Before they were able to discern who _we _would be, they reached the Great Hall and Lindi's friends were already waiting for her. She said her goodbyes and joined them at the Ravenclaw table.

That evening in the dorm room, Remus could not stifle his curiosity concerning Lindi's plans for the night. Would they involve Daniels…even after the way she had treated Remus during Dueling Club practice? He hoped that maybe they were no longer seeing one another. He took out the Marauders' Map and stared at it. He felt strange using it to spy on her and almost put it away. But his desire to know would nag at him until he found out and he wouldn't be able to concentrate on his homework as well as he should. So he tapped the map and brought it to life. There were only a few dots within the walls of the Ravenclaw common room, but unfortunately, two of them belonged to Lindi and Daniels. Remus felt his hope deflate. They were standing next to one another, but at least they weren't sharing a dot this time. He calmly deactivated the map and put it away before he would see the dot status change.

He decided tonight was a good night to visit the library to study. He needed to finish his Masquerade project and being surrounded by books and the soft whispers of others studying inspired him to do the same. The distraction couldn't hurt.

----------------------------------------------------

The Marauders slept in on the morning of the Hogsmeade visit. Having been up to no good most of Friday evening, they needed the extra sleep. Besides, they wanted to give the third years a chance to settle down a bit before going into the village. It was the same every year. The third years were always so excited about getting out that they were like a swarm of insects buzzing around every shop. Of course, the Marauders had used the frenetic activity as diversion for more than one prank in the past. As sixth years, they still looked forward to the visits, but they got to make them more frequently and their curfew was considerably later than the younger _kids_, so they were in no rush to leave the comfort of their four posters just yet.

They finally got up at mid-morning, dressed and crept down to the kitchens. James reached up, tickled the pear in the painting that disguised the kitchen door and turned the handle that appeared. They were treated to a scrumptious breakfast of pasties, leftover bacon and bangers all washed down with ice cold pumpkin juice. When they had their fill, they started the trek to Hogsmeade.

The sky looked unusually dry for late October. There were even sporadic patches of blue peaking through the layer of clouds. It was a very good day for getting out of the castle. They left the gates of Hogwarts and turned up the road to the village. As they passed in front of the Three Broomsticks, they could see Lily Evans vibrant red hair. She was standing outside the door of Zonko's Joke Shop. When they approached her, she didn't make the usual annoyed face that always seemed to accompany the arrival of James Potter. Instead, she smiled brightly and said, "Hello."

"Hello, Evans," said James smoothly. "Were you waiting for me or is it just a happy coincidence that you happened to be here at the right time?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm waiting for Celia." She turned and looked at Remus. "Are you just getting here?" Remus nodded. "So you haven't run into anyone _interesting _yet?"

Remus grinned bashfully. "Just you, Lily."

"Well, you might want to make a quick visit to Honeyduke's in case your sweet tooth is acting up," Lily said. "You might see someone interesting in there. It was really hopping a few minutes ago."

"Actually, I'm almost out of toothflossing stringmints," Remus said, still grinning. Lily was nothing if not persistent.

Remus looked back down the street towards Honeyduke's contemplating what he would actually say to Lindi if he did run into her. Then wondering how awkward it might be if she was there with Jeffrey Daniels, which she most likely would be. The street was bustling with Hogwarts students flitting from shop to shop, many with bags of goodies from Honeyduke's or Zonko's. As he tried to decide if he should actually make an effort to run into Lindi, Remus spotted a familiar flaxen head weaving through the crowded street. Daniels was making his way towards the entrance to Honeyduke's…and Lindi wasn't with him. Instead, he was accompanied by two of his Ravenclaw Quidditch teammates. _Hmmm, that's interesting_, thought Remus. Then, it got even more interesting.

Just as Daniels reached for the handle, the door of the candy shop opened and Lindi and her friends came laughing out into the street, nearly colliding with the three Ravenclaw boys. The girls' laughing came to an abrupt halt at the obviously unexpected encounter. They looked around at one another uncomfortably. Daniels cast Lindi an angry glare and pushed his way past them into the shop.

"Jeffrey, wait!" cried Lindi, but he didn't look back.

"What was that all about?" asked Peter.

"Doesn't look like there'll be any dot sharing tonight," said James, nudging Remus in the ribs, "not for them anyway, eh Moony?"

"What are you on about, Potter?" asked Lily.

"Oh, nothing, it just looks like things didn't work out for Dellington and Daniels."

"What?" Lily asked, perplexed. "You make it sound like they were dating. She wouldn't go out with him. Lindi fancies…" Lily stopped mid-sentence as Celia Kellar came down the steps from Zonko's and joined them.

"Lindi fancies who?" asked Celia, her interest clearly peaked.

"No one, Celia. The boys here are obviously confused," said Lily.

"Well, it looked like a post-breakup encounter to me," Sirius retorted.

"Who broke up? Lindi Dellington?" asked Celia, eagerly. "I didn't know she was dating anyone."

"She wasn't, Celia," said Lily, sternly. "Don't go starting rumors." Lily turned to the Marauders. "I don't know where you get your information, but it must be faulty."

"Our information came from a very reliable source," said James.

"Well, they must be pulling your leg then and I'll prove it." Lily set off briskly towards the Hogsmeade Owlery where Leanna was waiting alone at the bottom of the steps. The Marauders and Celia rushed after her.

"Hi, Haversham," Lily said.

"Hello," Leanna said mildly, but her eyes lit when she caught sight of Sirius and she smiled brightly. "Hi."

"Hello," said Sirius suavely.

Lily rolled her eyes and proceeded. "We were just having a minor dispute and were wondering if you might settle it for us?"

"Sure, if I can," Leanna answered, her eyes still locked on Sirius.

"Did Lindi Dellington and Jeffrey Daniels just break up?" James blurted.

Leanna tore her eyes from Sirius and looked at James in confusion.

"Break up? Don't you need to date first?" she asked.

"You mean they weren't?" asked Remus quietly.

"N-o," she said, dragging the word out suspiciously. "What made you think they were?"

The Marauders looked at one another quizzically. They couldn't tell her they had seen the two together on the map. But they had seen it with their own eyes…

"We've just seen them around together, more than usual," said James, lamely.

"The way he put his hand on her back, like people do…" added Remus, suddenly feeling foolish. Lily and the other girls were looking at them as if they were idiots.

"Well, I don't know what you think you've seen, but Jeffrey seemed to think the same thing. But he was wrong, too," said Leanna.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily. Thank goodness she did because Remus was about to burst with curiosity. What on earth was going on?

"Well, at dance lessons the other night, the stupid prat actually tried to kiss her. Right there in front of everyone, out of nowhere," Leanna said.

Remus felt his mouth drop. _Dance lessons…_

"I'm afraid she didn't appreciate it very much," Leanna said with a slight grimace.

Remus fought a grin as the image of a third year New Zealander named Orlon popped into his head. "She didn't try to hex him, did she?" he asked.

"No, of course not," said Leanna. "But she shoved him so hard he fell over the back of a chair." The Marauders burst into laughter. Remus was nearly giddy with relief. Lindi hadn't been flirting with him while dating another man! He should have known better! They shared dots because they were dancing; that's why the dots were moving around… "It isn't funny!" said Leanna. "He was really humiliated and I can't really blame him. Lindi can be really obtuse sometimes."

"I thought you said he was a stupid prat for trying to kiss her; how does that make Lindi the obtuse one?" asked Peter, defensively.

"Because she should have seen it coming!" said Leanna. "Everyone else did."

"How?" asked Celia, clearly amused.

Leanna hesitated. "I shouldn't have said anything. She already feels bad enough."

"Oh come on," urged Celia. "You might as well tell the real story before rumors start flying." Lily gave her friend a disgusted look, but seemed to realize she had a point. Remus knew Celia didn't care about the truth so much as she wanted to be privy to the gossip, and he hated to admit it but he was dying to know what really happened, too.

Leanna sighed. "Well, it was all Darlene's idea. She convinced them to give us dancing lessons so we'd be ready for the ball and could show up the other houses when it was time to do the traditional dances. Jeffrey's so competitive he was all for it. Plus, it isn't a big secret he's fancied Lindi for a while, and Lindi loves to dance. Her aunt was really into the old traditions and made her learn when she was little. But some of those old dances are rather, er, _seductive_, and you know how Lindi is…" Leanna shook her head sadly. "It isn't really her fault, but when you know if you smile at a boy he'll think it's an invitation to shag, you should be more careful."

Just then, the bell on the Owlery door jingled and they looked up to find Lindi walking out carrying a large bag of owl treats. Leanna peered around at them guiltily, obviously regretting the discussion of her best friend. Remus nearly floated off the ground when Lindi saw him and smiled.

"Looks like an invitation to me," sniggered Celia.

"An invitation to what?" asked Lindi.

There was a brief moment of awkwardness as shameful glances were cast about. Leanna looked positively mortified before Sirius finally spoke up.

"We were just planning a little adventure for later and offered Leanna an invitation to join us," he said. Leanna gazed at him thankfully. "You are invited as well."

"Sounds like fun, don't you think, Lindi?" Leanna asked.

"Depends on what your idea of a fun adventure is," answered Lindi, sounding skeptical. "You realize this lot's idea of fun is to torture each other with as many hexes as they can cast. You better get more details before we agree to anything."

"What are you agreeing to?" asked Darlene, coming through the chiming door to the Owlery with Constance on her heels. Remus' stomach dropped.

"They were just inviting us to join them on a little adventure," said Leanna brightly. "Lindi was just asking for more details before accepting."

"That figures," said Darlene. She looked at the boys and smiled. "Lindi isn't exactly the adventurous type."

"I like adventure, Darlene," said Lindi. "I just don't think it's wise to agree to something without knowing what it is. For all we know, they might be planning something completely dangerous or illegal, or both." She shot them an apologetic look. "No offense, but you do have something of a reputation."

The four boys smiled devilishly. Remus knew they were all far from offended and actually took great pride in their _reputation_.

"See what I mean?" asked Darlene. "What's an adventure without a little danger, Lindi? I think it sounds like a brilliant idea. So when do we go?" Remus felt his stomach sink further. Suddenly, their adventure had gotten a bit overcrowded.

"Let's go now," said James eyeing Lily eagerly. With the prospect of spending the rest of the day with Lily, James didn't seem to fussed that things had just gotten rather uncomfortable for Remus. Remus couldn't _really_ blame him.

"I can't go now," said Lindi. "I still have to go by and clear out my room at Rosmerta's. Plus, I need to take this back for Atticus." She held up the bag of owl treats.

"If you're afraid to go, just say so," said Darlene. "You should probably stay and find Jeffrey to patch things up anyway."

Lindi looked nettled. "I can't help it if he won't talk to me, can I?" she snapped. "And I'm _not _afraid." She glanced at the Marauders. "Where would you be taking us?"

"Just exploring, don't you want to know more about the things around you?" asked Sirius.

She looked at Leanna. "Are you going?" Leanna nodded enthusiastically. "Are you Lily?"

Lily smiled. "I wouldn't miss it. It should be very interesting."

"Constance?" asked Lindi.

"I have a date."

"Come on, Dellington," said James. "It'll be fun."

"Yeah, and it won't be _too_ dangerous," added Sirius.

"We won't let anything bad happen to you," said Peter.

Lindi looked around, nervously chewing her lower lip. Remus knew it went against her better judgment, but he could tell she was giving in, even without knowing what they were doing and where they were going. Part of him wanted to will her to say no. He got a chill of foreboding when she gave a weak nod of ascent, but it passed quickly with the excitement of the looming adventure.

"So, we're on then?" asked James keenly. They agreed they were and made plans to meet back at the Three Broomsticks at two o'clock, then went their separate ways.

After the girls had departed, Remus turned to his friends. "So, what kind of adventure have we gotten ourselves into?"

"I don't know, but it sure will be interesting," said James. "If Wilkins keeps insulting Lindi, we might actually see some hexing."

"It might just be the push she needs to go out with you, Remus," said Peter encouragingly.

"I don't want her to go out with me because she's angry with Darlene," said Remus.

"Let's not worry about that now," said Sirius. "The important thing is, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better. You can learn a lot about a person by getting to know their friends as well, right?"

"Right," said Remus. He had the distinct feeling that Sirius was looking forward to getting to know Lindi's friend, Leanna. "Again I ask, what sort of adventure are we going on?"

"I have no idea," said Sirius. "Let's go get a butterbeer and figure something out."


	22. A Little Adventure

**Chapter 22 A Little Adventure**

**Summary: _The Marauders and their guests set out on a little adventure. It might be slightly awkward, but Remus is willing to put up with it if it means a chance to spend time with Lindi. James intends to take full advantage of any opportunities that present themselves, as well._**

_A/N: I'm putting a little warning out due to the fact that their is alcohol use in this chapter. I don't think it is worthy of a Drug and Alcohol **Abuse **Warning on the chapter, but just to be safe, there is Alcohol **Use**. Just so you know. _

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"You know, it's a lot easier to come up with adventures spontaneously," said Sirius. He lifted a bottle of butterbeer and took a gulp.

"Yeah, and when it's just the four of us," agreed James. "It's not like we can whip out the map, throw the invisibility cloak over the lot and lead them into the dungeons to look for secret passages."

"I never realized how dull Hogsmeade can be," said Peter, waving his hand to get the attention of their waitress. "We usually don't have any trouble coming up with something to do."

The waitress came over and they ordered another round of butterbeers. They'd been sitting in the Three Broomsticks for nearly a quarter hour and had come up with a big blank on adventures for the four of them and their five _female _companions. They quickly eliminated the typical Marauder activities for Hogsmeade visits, mainly purchasing refills for their prank stores and searching out unwitting victims, then coming to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate and let Sirius and James flirt with Madam Rosmerta. The Marauders didn't think the girls would enjoy that nearly as much as _they_ did. They were finding it a real struggle to come up with something they thought could be fun for everyone. It needed to be interesting enough to be considered adventurous, yet not frightening enough to have the girls (the non-Gryffindor ones at least) refusing to participate. Peter had suggested a tour of the Shrieking Shack.

"Do you honestly think you'd get any of them, much less Dellington, within twenty yards of the most _haunted_ building in Britain?" Sirius sniggered.

"Do you honestly think I would _take _any of them, especially Lindi, to that place?" asked Remus. "I don't want her to see that."

"It's not like she'd know what it was," said Sirius.

"No, but _I_ do, and people are supposed to think it is extremely dangerous. Taking them in would diminish the threat and we can't do that. _That_ would be dangerous. Besides, that is the last place I want to go. I have enough _fun_ there." Remus left no doubt that this was a bad suggestion and they should move on.

They paid the waitress for the new butterbeers and sat in quiet contemplation for another moment.

Sirius suddenly let out a little snort. "What is _wrong_ with us? I think all this _girl_ business is dulling our wits." He leaned back in his chair and studied them, his arms crossed. "Well, Moony and Prongs' anyway, and it must be contagious. Why else didn't I think of it sooner?" He made them wait for a moment as they looked expectantly for some brilliant plan to emerge. He took a sip of his butterbeer and sat it down before opening his arms and declaring, "The forest…"

"Oh, I don't know, Sirius," said Remus uncertainly. "Taking a whole group in there _could_ be dangerous. What if one of them got separated from us?"

"Nah, it would never happen. It's scary enough that they'll be stuck to us like slime on Snivellus," said Sirius, grinning.

"Yeah, it might be _too_ scary," said Peter. "Think they'd agree?"

"Evans wouldn't be scared," said James.

"But she probably won't like that it's against school rules," added Sirius, looking uncertain for the first time.

"True, but I think she might be willing to overlook that, if it would help her mission with Moony, and I have a feeling she's got a bit of an adventurous streak herself. We might be able to talk her into it," said James hopefully.

"I agree," said Peter, "but what about the others?"

"Keller will do it in a second. Wilkins will just to rub Dellington's nose in it," said Sirius.

"And Haversham will because she has it bad for Padfoot," James said. Sirius shrugged casually, as if it was commonplace to have a pretty girl like you enough to risk going into the dark forest for you. Of course, for Sirius, it _was,_ so…

"That leaves Lindi," said Remus, sounding doubtful.

"She'll do it," said Sirius confidently. "If we get the others to agree, she'll go along. She might take some persuading, but she will."

Remus thought Sirius might be right about Lindi giving in, and he had to admit, the forest had definite possibilities. The Marauders had spent some of their best times within its mysterious confines. As he considered some of the more promising sites they could show the girls, Lily came weaving her way through the crowded pub and stood next to their table. James quickly turned to the table behind him and ordered a third year Ravenclaw to give up his chair so that Lily might have a place to sit.

"Potter, don't!" she snapped. She turned to the third year who was scrambling to pull a Honeydukes sack from under the chair. "You keep your seat. You were here first."

"No really, we were just leaving anyway," said the boy, casting a nervous glance at James and Sirius as he threw on his cloak.

James grabbed the chair, slid it over to their table and held it for Lily.

"You know, it's a lot more chivalrous to give up your _own_ seat," she said, sitting down.

"A lot more uncomfortable, too," said James, returning to his own chair.

Lily looked like she wanted to say something but changed her mind, giving her head a hopeless shake and turned to Remus. "So, looking forward to our little adventure?"

"I guess," Remus said. He would have been looking forward to it considerably more if the invitation list hadn't gotten quite so long. He really hoped things didn't get too uncomfortable. He hoped even more that Lindi didn't back out because of Darlene.

"Yes, it might be a bit awkward, but it has to be dealt with sooner or later. So, what _dangerous_ and _illegal_ activities do you have on the agenda for us so far?" Lily asked, her green eyes twinkling mischievously. James raised a brow, grinning. He was clearly under the impression that he had been right about her adventurous streak. But she hadn't agreed to anything, yet.

"Would you be interested in seeing some of the _nicer_ secrets of the Forbidden Forest?" James asked temptingly.

Lily's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How many _nice_ secrets do you know?"

"A fair few," James said smugly. Lily stared at him for a moment. When James stared calmly back, Lily pursed her lips.

"The forest is off limits you know," said Lily.

James furrowed his brow in mock shock. "_What_? You mean all this time we've been out of bounds?" he gasped. He clutched at his heart dramatically. "I could have been _caught_ and…and given _detention_? …Wrecked my perfect record?"

"Very funny," said Lily. "You could have been _caught_ by something in the forest and mauled."

"Ah, Evans, I _knew_ you cared," James said, beaming. "Would you have kept vigil at my deathbed crying over my mangled body?"

"_Aahh_," sighed Lily in exasperation. "Actually, I'd have cried over the poor creature that was unfortunate enough to come across a nutter like you. One bite and it probably would have dropped dead!" Lily looked to be fighting a grin. "But really, the forest is off limits for a reason."

"That's what makes it _adventurous_," said Sirius.

"Come on, you know you want to go," James goaded.

Lily did look terribly intrigued and started to ask what sort of places they might visit. James grinned.

"You'll just have to come along to find out," said James enticingly.

In no time, Lily was on board for the adventure and she offered suggestions for convincing the non-Gryffindors to come along. She agreed that Lindi was likely to be the only one inclined to refuse, but Lily also seemed to think they would be able to convince her.

"Especially if we play up the fact that students often go into the forest to gather things for potions or to serve detentions and things like that. It isn't like people never go in there. I've seen Hagrid coming out of it numerous times," Lily said, but Remus got the feeling she was actually trying to convince _herself_ that it was alright to flout the rule against entering the dark forest. He had to smile. How many times had he been in the boat Lily found herself in now, rationalizing the rule-breaking that came with befriending the Marauders?

"And we can take some food along and make it into a nice picnic, since we'll likely miss dinner," Lily added for good measure.

"Sure, girls love picnics," agreed Peter.

_Hmm_…Remus thought that a picnic sounded a bit on the romantic side, which should have been perfect, but not when he considered everyone in the party.

"Right, and some butterbeer or some of Rosmerta's mulled mead," James said enthusiastically. James was definitely looking forward to the idea of a picnic. That was a little odd. It occurred to Remus that Sirius had a point. He didn't know if it was actually dulling their wits, but this _girl business_ did seem to be having an impact.

"I bet I can get the barman at the Hog's Head to let me buy a bottle of Firewhiskey," offered Sirius. "It could get very _chilly_ out there after the sun goes down," he added at the smirk Lily gave him.

"No, no hard liquor," said Remus firmly. "The last thing we need is a bunch of drunken girls running around the Forbidden Forest in the dark. No offense, Lily."

"None taken, I agree completely." She looked sternly at Sirius. "Besides, regardless of the fact that _you_ are still underage, Lindi is _really_ underage. And don't say that's what makes it an adventure!"

Sirius smirked deviously. "Fine. I just forget what a _child_ she is." He gave Remus a twisted smile and shook his head. "Not even sixteen.—_shame on you_, Moony."

"Oh, please!" snorted Lily. "Mr. I-want-to-ride-your-swing-all-day-long!"

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After devising a plan for the Forbidden Forest outing, and before the girls returned, the Marauders took the opportunity to gather some supplies. Their first stop was, of course, Zonko's. Shortly before two, they made their way back to the Three Broomsticks. The crowd had thinned slightly and they headed across the room to a table near the fireplace. Remus watched James and Sirius uneasily as they passed by a table full of Slytherins. A few snide comments flew between them, but fortunately, everyone involved knew that a brawl in the pub was a very bad idea and the nasty comments were the only things flying.

When they reached the table, they pulled some extra chairs around for their expected companions and the four Marauders sat, each of them facing the room. None of them would dare sit with their backs to _that_ particular group of Slytherins, regardless of the fact that they were in a crowded pub in broad daylight. Remus felt the hair prickle on his neck when he noticed that the table was occupied by more than just current Slytherins. How had he missed Lucius Malfoy's white-blonde head? _You better be more observant in the forest_, Remus thought darkly.

Lily and Celia were the first of their guests to arrive and Lily made her way to their table while Celia stopped by the bar to chat with some other Hogwarts students.

"Where is everyone?" Lily asked.

"Not here, but it isn't two yet," said James, pushing the chair next to him away from the table so she could sit.

"Well, I hope they're on time. Since we have to be back early, we don't have a lot of time to waste," said Lily.

"What do you mean, we have to be back _early_?" asked James.

"The curfew's been moved up. Didn't you read the announcement?" Lily asked. "They announced it at breakfast this morning as well…Of course, you slept through that didn't you?" Lily shook her head. "Didn't they tell you when you checked out?" The four boys shifted their eyes around at one another. "You didn't _check out_? Remus, you're a _prefect_."

Remus felt a little guilty and Lily shook her head again. He knew she thought the Marauders were a bad influence on him. He supposed in some ways they were.

"Well, we have to be back on the school grounds before sunset and back in the Castle no later than six," Lily continued.

"Why?" asked Sirius, disgustedly.

"There's been some trouble. There was a break-in at Dervish and Banges last night. I think, with everything else that's been going on, Professor Dumbledore wants us to stay close, even though there isn't any proof that it was anything other than a routine burglary," Lily said. "They haven't released what kinds of things were taken, though."

Celia joined them and she seemed to have acquired a friend. Mundungus Fletcher plopped into one of the open seats. Remus got an unpleasant whiff of stale smoke mingled with liquor and looked around at his friends.

"Merlin, Dung, what is that stench?" asked James.

"What stench?" Mundungus asked.

Lily looked torn between revulsion and a desire to burst into laughter. She and James shared a wry grin instead. "Never mind," said James. "Where've you been?"

"Bin over at the Hog's Head. Me an some uh the blokes were celebratin my birthday. I'm of age today." Mundungus grinned and looked rather glassy-eyed.

"Ah, well, congratulations," said James.

"Yeah, happy birthday, Dung," said Sirius holding up his butterbeer in toast. "What are you doing _here_?"

"Got thrown out o'the Hog's Head fer buyin Firewhisky fer someuh the underage blokes. The old codger never minded before, but he had some law enforcement department blokes in and musta wanted to look on the up and up. Seems like ever where ya go anymore, there's hit wizards or aurors turnin up."

"It's a sign of the times, Dung," said Sirius darkly.

Remus was distracted from the sobering conversation with a jolt of frustration as he looked up and saw Leanna and Darlene crossing the room. Lindi was not with them.

"Where's Lindi?" asked Lily.

"She said she'd be right here," said Leanna, smiling warmly and taking the seat next to Sirius. "She's just outside trying to talk to _someone._" Leanna gave a meaningful look that Remus took to indicate Lindi was trying to talk to Jeffrey Daniels. He felt a prickle of apprehension and worried that Lindi and Daniels might get things _too_ straightened out. "I don't think she'll be long," said Leanna with a smirk. Remus took that to mean Daniels wasn't being very receptive to what Lindi had to say_. Good._

"Good, because we really need to get started," said Lily, glancing at her watch.

"Well, we wouldn't have been so late if Lindi hadn't insisted on changing her clothes," said Darlene.

Leanna gave Darlene a peeved glance.

"We're not late, Darlene, and Lindi just wanted to change into some older robes," Leanna explained to the group. "She figures by running around with you lot, there's a good chance we could end up getting caught in the crossfire of one of your pranks and doesn't want her nice robes stained with coloring-slime-ball goop or something."

Remus smiled. It was nice to know that Lindi did have _some_ common sense. He knew she could be a little on the _ditsy_ side, since she worried about vegetables after all. He looked up and saw her coming through the door at last. If those were her old robes, he couldn't tell it. Of course she would have looked radiant in house-elf rags.

But before Lindi made it across the pub floor, someone called her name and she walked over to the Slytherins' table and started talking to Severus Snape. Remus would have nearly given his copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ to be able to hear what they were saying to her as she smiled bashfully. He tensed when he saw Malfoy stand up and whisper something in her ear. Her face flushed and Remus was suddenly aware of his hand gripping his wand, but Lindi looked up at Malfoy and nodded timidly. The next thing Remus saw made his skin crawl. Malfoy held out his hand to her and she hesitated for a moment. When she took it, he raised her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to it. Remus wanted to jump out of his chair and pull her away from Malfoy, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and watched for Lindi's reaction. She looked like she didn't know what to do or say, so she pulled her hand back nervously and walked away continuing across the pub to join them.

"That slimey git bothering you, Lindi?" asked Sirius loudly. Malfoy looked around and sneered.

"Who, Mr. Malfoy? No, he's fine," Lindi said distracted.

"I'll say," said Celia. "It's too bad he's engaged eh, Dellington?"

Lindi looked at Celia blankly.

"_So_," said Lily, smirking at Celia. "That's everyone. I think we should get started."

Before they got underway, they needed to lay some ground rules for the adventure. They huddled together and spoke in hushed tones. First, they were all sworn to secrecy as the Marauders couldn't let it be known that they made a habit of roaming the Forbidden Forest. James made sure everyone was well aware of the curse that would befall them should they go back on their vow. Then, Sirius gave them the details of their adventure. No one was surprised when Lindi balked at the plan, but she wasn't the only one. Leanna took a bit of convincing as well, but when Sirius promised he'd take good care of her, she seemed _more_ than satisfied. Remus wanted to assure Lindi that he wouldn't let anything happen to her either, but somehow it just seemed too awkward with everyone staring at them. He was painfully aware of how much cooler and more debonair Sirius was than him.

But, as Sirius had predicted, Lindi eventually gave in. Remus wondered if she had been swayed by the Marauders' arguments or simply provoked by Darlene and Celia's belittling sniggers. Whatever her motivation, she was now party to the adventure and they finalized their plans.

"Now, if for some reason you become separated from the rest of the group, you need to use the Four-Point Spell, does everyone know it?" asked Remus.

"That's _Point Me_, righ?" asked Mundungus. It appeared that he had every intention of joining them.

"Yes," said Remus, noting that everyone had acknowledged that they did in fact know it. "Alright, then just make sure you head _west_. That will take you out of the forest and to the castle. Do _not_ go _east._ That takes you further into the forest and into some dangerous territory." He saw the fearful look flicker in Lindi's eyes. "The areas we are taking you to are fine, don't worry."

Finally, they were ready to get started. Lindi, Peter, and James went to procure refreshments from Rosmerta and the others made a stop at the facilities before heading out.

Before they left the pub, Sirius couldn't seem to resist the temptation to offer his _congratulations_ to Malfoy on his engagement.

"I wonder how Narcissa would take the news that you're trying to chat up underage _school girls_ during your visits to Hogsmeade," said Sirius coolly. "After reading of your impending marriage in the _Daily Prophet_, I would think you'd be a little more discrete."

"Why don't you _tell_ her and find out? Oh, that's right; she'd never hear you out, would she, as you no longer _exist_ in her world? The word of a _disinherited _blood-traitor carries no weight in respectable circles, does it?" Malfoy snarled. "And I didn't have to _read _about your disgrace. I got it first hand. I always knew you were a fool, but I never thought you'd be stupid enough to get yourself cutoff. Pity, but all the more for the rest of us."

"There's more to life than money, Malfoy," Sirius said through clenched teeth.

"Is there _really_?" said Malfoy. "Well, whatever else there might be, with enough money you can _buy_ it."

"Not everything can be bought," growled Sirius.

"Stupid boy, anything and anyone can be bought," said Malfoy, his lip curling derisively. "You just have to figure out the price."

"Just because you're willing to sell your soul, doesn't mean everyone is," said Sirius.

Malfoy sniggered.

"Come on, Sirius, the girls are waiting," said Remus.

"Right, tell Narcissa I send my _sympathies_," said Sirius and he walked away.

--------------------------------------------------

By the time they reached the gates of Hogwarts, the sun was starting to go down. They kept to the edge of the grounds, and tried to stay in the shadows. James and Remus huddled briefly to make a discreet check of the Marauders' Map, ensuring that none of the school staff was in a position to spot a group of ten entering the Forbidden Forest. When they were convinced the coast was clear, they started in. Remus smiled as he watched Lindi brace herself, taking a deep breath before stepping into the shadows of the forest's edge. She wasn't nearly the coward Darlene would like to pretend she was. He knew she was afraid, but that impressed him all the more. It took guts to march head long into something that frightened you. Of course, it also showed her susceptibility to peer pressure.

Remus wanted desperately to take her by the hand and walk with her, but, as he had feared would happen, Darlene had insinuated herself squarely between them. He felt sure that Darlene was bright enough to understand that there wasn't going to be a _relationship _between her and Remus, but he got the impression that she was going to do her best to make sure there wasn't one between him and Lindi either. She was really starting to get on his nerves.

They threaded their way through the trees, deeper into the forest. Sirius and James had taken the lead with Leanna sticking very close to Sirius. Remus wondered when James would start making his move on Lily. He had to admit, he was impressed with James' unusual restraint. Mundungus and Peter came next, then Lily and Lindi. That left Remus bringing up the rear with Darlene and Celia. _What is wrong with this picture?_ Under other circumstances, Remus would have been incredibly flattered to have two attractive girls vying for his attention, especially when in the company of James and Sirius. But tonight, it only irritated him. It was a beautiful autumn evening. The setting sun's golden rays were filtering through the trees, gilding the forest floor. The girl of his dreams was only feet away. It was almost perfect…just perfect enough to frustrate the bloody crap out of him.

Remus soon heard the sound of gurgling water and knew they were approaching the brook that emptied into a small pool. On several occasions, the Marauders had seen animals drinking at the watering hole, including the usual forest dwelling creatures like deer and fox. They had also seen a hippogriff and even once caught a fleeting glimpse of a unicorn before it had vanished in a blur.

"Alright, everyone be very quiet and we might be able to see some wildlife up ahead," whispered James as they clustered at the brook's edge.

"Just be careful where you step; the stones are slippery. And watch out for imps," Remus added, as he caught Lindi's eye for the first time since they set out. He smiled encouragingly. "It's not so bad, is it?"

She smiled back nervously and shook her head. He hoped that now they might have a chance to walk together for a while, but that was wishful thinking. Celia grabbed his arm and asked, "What kind of wildlife might we see, Remus?"

"Just deer or squirrels probably, but you never know," he said as he watched Lindi turn and follow Lily along the brook's bank.

They walked in silence a few more minutes as the brook widened and spilled into the pool. As they approached cautiously, the silence was broken by a shriek followed by a loud splash and the giggling of girls. Remus rolled his eyes at the sight of Peter sprawled on his back in the shallow water as two imps pointed and sniggered in delight.

"Take a good look girls, those imps are the only wild life you'll be seeing at this watering hole tonight," said James walking to the edge of the pool bank and peering down at Peter.

"You are the very picture of grace, Wormtail," said Sirius, shaking his head at the sight.

"Sorry," said Peter.

"Someone get him out of there, before something gets him," said Lindi, a bit frantically.

"What on earth do you think would want him?" asked James, chuckling. He and Sirius reached down and grabbed Peter's outstretched hands, pulling him out of the water.

"Well, who knows what is in this forest? There could be grindylows or s-something else," she said fearfully.

"There could be," said Remus, doubtfully. "But I think it's unlikely. Grindylows are more commonly found in larger bodies of water than this. Plus, we've seen a unicorn drinking here. I don't think it would drink from a pool contaminated by water demons."

Lindi's eyes widened and she seemed to forget her worries. "You've seen a unicorn here?" she asked. Her face brightened as he told her about it and the various interesting, _non-frightening_, creatures they had seen. She seemed to hang on his every word, as did the other girls, including Lily. Remus thought, from the looks on his friends' faces, that they might not tease him about always having his nose in a book anymore. He had to admit, it was nice to have his information appreciated. How often did he find himself the center of attention? Lindi was gazing at him so intently he almost forgot he had a larger audience. He could hardly take his eyes off of her spellbound face. Suddenly, there was another shriek.

"Oh, oh, a snake!" Remus didn't know which of the girls had cried.

Everyone started to look around quickly and Darlene pointed to something at the edge of the pool's bank. Remus took a step towards it raising his wand as he went. He noticed Sirius start to move also, but Leanna had grabbed onto his arm. There were several shrill squeals interspersed with the sound of panic stricken whimpering. Remus turned to see Lindi jumping up on the nearest thing she could reach. He felt a twinge of jealousy mingle with amusement as he watched her holding on to James for dear life as James struggled to maintain his footing. But it was a feeling of great satisfaction that accompanied the realization that, while she might be trying to climb James like a tree, it was Remus' name she was gasping for help. Still, that should be _him _standing there holding her with her legs wrapping tightly around _his_ waist, _his_ face practically buried in her cleavage, _his_ hand on her lovely exposed thigh! _Craaap!_

"Lindi, calm down. It isn't a snake," Remus said. "It's just a stick caught in the silt." He had to admit, it did look like a snake's head sticking out of the water as the current from the stream passed over it. Lindi continued to cling to James, whimpering. Remus' assurance that there was no snake didn't seem to register. She was breathing very rapidly and Remus worried that she might start hyperventilating. He realized that she wasn't just _afraid_ of snakes; this was a real phobic episode.

"I always knew I was irresistible," James joked.

The others were starting to find it amusing. Remus, on the other hand was starting to get annoyed. "Come on James, you can let her down now," he said.

"That or take it someplace private," said Celia, eliciting a fair bit of sniggering.

But Remus noticed from the look on Lily's face that she didn't seem to be enjoying the fact that James was now holding Remus' dream girl by the bum anymore than Remus did. _Is she just worried about Lindi or could Lily actually be jealous?_ Remus wondered. James must have gotten the same idea and didn't rush to put Lindi down. He seemed determined to play it for all it was worth, that or James was just getting a pretty good cheap thrill from the situation. From the goofy look on his face, it could have been either.

"That's not a bad idea," said James, pretending to head off into the woods, presumably to someplace private.

"Knock it off, Prongs," said Remus quietly.

"Yeah, put her down. Can't you see she's upset?" said Lily.

They practically had to pry Lindi off of him. She was pale as a ghost and shivering all over. Her breathing was erratic and Remus thought she might actually go into shock. This was definitely a true phobia. He had known her fear was powerful from her reaction to the boggart. But when Remus considered that her nerves were already frayed from traipsing around the forbidden forest, it wasn't surprising that the combination had thrown her into a full blown panic attack.

Remus knelt down in front of her and held her shoulders firmly. "Lindi, it's alright," he said softly. "It was just a stick." She stared at him as if she could barely comprehend what he was saying. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. It felt wonderful and natural to comfort her.

As he continued trying to assure her, he could hear the others talking quietly behind him.

"She's really freaked out," said Peter. "Did she have a bad experience with a snake or something?"

"Oh yeah," whispered Leanna. "Really bad."

"What happened to her, did she get bitten?" asked Sirius.

"No, she didn't, her grandmother did," said Leanna. "But Lindi saw it happen."

Lindi let out a wretched groan and shivered. "It's alright, Lindi," Remus said, straining to hear the rest.

"What happened to her?" asked Peter.

"She died," said Leanna sadly.

"Bloody hell," breathed Peter.

Lindi threw her arms around her head protectively. Remus wasn't sure what he could say or do to comfort her. He had known there must be something behind her fear to make it so strong. He turned to the others and gestured for them to be quiet or move out of ear shot. Overhearing their conversation wasn't helping her.

"It's alright, Lindi. There's nothing here that's going to harm you," he assured her. He grabbed her wrists and forced her hands down from her head. "Look at me, Lindi." She seemed to respond to the firmness of his voice. He realized at this point, she needed him to be strong rather than gentle; it probably made her feel safer. She looked up at him, shivering. "You are alright. It was just a stick."

Slowly, her breathing started to ease to a rapid pant. "Do you want to go back to the castle?" Remus asked gently. He heard some of the others start to protest.

"Aw, come on. It was just a stick," someone said.

"Leave her alone," Remus said in a very steady voice that left no room for argument. "I'll take you back, if you want to go, but I really don't think you should worry about seeing a _real_ snake." Lindi shivered at the mere word. "In all the times we've been back here, I have _never_ seen one. Like I said, we've seen _unicorns_ here. I don't think it's likely that they would share their domain with serpents any more than with water demons." He could sense her starting to calm as he spoke. "There are some things I'd like you to see before we go back. We're getting close to one of them, but it's up to you."

She took a deep quivering breath. She was much calmer, but she was still pale and shaking.

"Somebody hand me a butterbeer, please," Remus said.

"Here Moony, give her a shot of this." Sirius handed him a nearly full bottle of Firewhiskey. Remus looked at him in disbelief.

"I thought we agreed there would be no hard liquor…"

"Hey, Dung brought it, not me. But I think she could use a shot, mate," Sirius said, holding his hands up innocently.

"I think he's right, Moony," agreed James.

"Under the circumstances, Remus," said Lily, "it _could _be considered medicinal."

So Remus pulled the cork from the bottle and wiped the mouth on his sleeve before offering it to Lindi. She did as he suggested and turned the bottle up. Remus was stunned by the way she gulped the liquid as if it were bottled water and before he could react, she had guzzled a fair bit. It was only after he grabbed the bottle from her that she seemed to realize that Firewhiskey had earned its name for a reason. She coughed and spat, gasping for air as the alcohol burned its way down her throat.

"Damn, Dellington, have a swig," said James, laughing.

She looked at Remus as if he had betrayed her, her eyes watering heavily. "I'm sorry, Lindi," he said, though he couldn't help smiling when she blinked up at him, stunned. "Are you alright? You were only supposed to take _a little_."

She looked dazed, but had regained the color in her cheeks and seemed to be breathing more normally, though she kept pulling faces and jerking her head as if she were trying to shake the Firewhiskey off.

"Well," said Sirius brightly, "that should do the trick. Are we ready to move on?"

"It's up to you, Lindi. Do you want to go back or do you want to see what's up ahead?" Remus asked, adding quickly, "I think you'll really like it."

"You promise you've never seen a s-s-s-snake?" she asked.

"I give you my word, I have _never_ seen one in this forest," Remus assured her. He didn't tell her some of the other, _really_ scary things they had seen.

She nodded and he helped her to her feet. They all started walking again. This time, however, there was no way anyone was going to keep him from walking with her. He could tell Darlene didn't like it, but _Sod it_! He got the feeling the enormous shot of Firewhiskey had gone straight to Lindi's head since she looked almost as glassy-eyed as Mundungus and she didn't seem to care at all that Darlene was shooting daggers at her. Remus knew that Lindi was counting on him to keep her safe. He really liked that. He liked to think that it wasn't just the Firewhiskey.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly as they walked along trailing the rest of their group.

"Yeah, other than my entire shophageal lining being burned away, I'm fine," she said. Remus nearly laughed at the way she had slightly slurred the word esophageal. _Yep, it's gone to her head. _"I'm a little embarrassed, but that's nothing new, is it?"

"Don't be, you weren't the only one who jumped," he said.

"No, but I'm the only one who became virshully canatonic, aren't I?" she asked. Remus chuckled. He had never gotten a girl drunk before. Of course, it hadn't taken very much…

"You know, I think I could help you with this fear as well as your fear of hexing. How does more total immersion therapy sound?"

"Are you _barmy_?" she cried, stopping in her tracks. He laughed and some of the others turned to look at them. Lily flashed him a grin and winked.

"No, I'm serious," he said, ushering Lindi forward. "I'm sure Professor Adamson would lend us the boggart." She shook her head furiously. "You really should try to get this under control, Lindi. Besides, I've been meaning to work on _Riddikulus _with you. It's very likely to come up on your re-test or N.E.W.T."

"NO! No, no, no," she said, continuing to shake her head. Remus thought she was going to get dizzier than she already was. "I can't, Remus."

"But, Lindi…"

"Did I tell you, I finished _The Dark Arts Outsmarted_? And I'm almost through with _Self-Affensive Spellwork_," she said, clearly marking the end of the discussion on her phobia. He was rather relieved that being slightly tipsy didn't make her easier to persuade and he decided now wasn't the time to press her about it anyway.

"You mean _Self- DE -fensive Spellwork_?" he teased.

"Right, that's what I said," she answered. Remus bit his tongue. They started to discuss the books he had loaned her. A few of the others gave them some rather funny looks. He knew Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't exactly the most romantic topic they could have chosen, but Remus didn't care. He was finally enjoying their adventure.

_A/N: Just so everyone knows, I don't think Dung was permanently banned from the Hog's Head just for buying some young bloke a Firewhiskey. I think this was just a prelude to Dung's, shall we say_, shadier_ activities. Cheers_.


	23. Playing Games

**Chapter 23: Playing Games**

**Summary: _Playing games isn't just for fun; it is a great way to learn. The boys carry out their scheme to gather information. What will they find out? And will James be an idiot? Of course he will; they're all idiots, well, not Moony so much._**

_A/N: Alright, folks, I'm putting another naughtiness warning on this one. It comes toward the end. You'll know it when you see it. Again, nothing graphic, just more crude and rude banter between the teenagers. I blame hormones! _

Remus lost track of time as they walked further into the forest. He and Lindi were absorbed in their conversation, and thanks to a bit of highly skilled interference being run by Lily, no one had been permitted to interrupt them. Lily, James, and Peter were forming an almost imperturbable barrier before them. Remus saw Darlene shoot a dark look Lindi's way once, but he didn't really care at this point and Lindi didn't seem to have noticed. The Firewhiskey had relaxed her quite a lot. Although she was obviously still rather jumpy, he didn't mind at all. He rather enjoyed the way she was clinging to his sleeve and would jump against him at the sound of birds taking flight in the woods as they walked by. He probably should have moved her to his right side so his wand arm was free, just in case, but he was afraid to draw attention to the fact that she was holding onto him for fear she would stop doing it.

Every now and then, Remus caught Lily glancing back at them. From the highly satisfied smile she kept throwing him, she seemed to be under the impression that her mission was meeting with some long overdue success. Remus had to admit he was feeling pretty satisfied himself. After seeing Darlene actually laughing with Celia, Peter, and Dung, he was in high hopes that Darlene might have gotten over her, er, _infatuation_ or whatever it was, and that he and Lindi would finally be able to move forward. Of course, that was assuming Lindi _wanted_ to move forward with him. But he _knew_ she did. _At least for now_. She just _had_ to, the way she looked at him. They just got on too well not to. He was so thrilled that Lindi was really interested in the things that he enjoyed. They had nearly exhausted the topic of the Patronus Charm, which they weren't scheduled to learn until seventh year. He knew she was a little talkative and giddy from the Firewhiskey, but she had seemed genuinely enthusiastic about their entire conversation. She was highly impressed that he had been able to produce a Patronus since early in fifth year. Some magic was simply too intriguing for the Marauders to wait until their professors saw fit to teach it to them. After discovering their Animagi forms, James and Sirius had been anxious to learn what form their Patronuses would assume and had taken it upon themselves to find out. Of course, they had encouraged Remus and Peter to do so as well.

"You mean you can already do a real corprial—I mean cor-_por-_eal one?" she asked, trying hard to enunciate.

"Yes," he chuckled.

"Oooh, what is it?" she asked, wide eyed.

"It's a lion," he said softly, hoping he didn't sound too proud. Still, he couldn't help it. What Gryffindor wouldn't have been pleased to produce the king of beasts as his Patronus?

"I should have guessed. Underneath the soft-spoken, gentle exterior beats the heart of a lion. You really are a Gryffindor, aren't you?" she said, smiling up at him.

Remus felt himself chuffing up. He tried to fight it, but it was useless. _Why fight it?_ _You might as well enjoy it while you can_.

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked, though he didn't think she was. Calling someone a Gryffindor couldn't possibly be considered derogatory by any stretch of _his_ imagination. No, he thought it was more likely that she was flirting with him. He was _really _enjoying this little excursion.

"Of course not," said Lindi, earnestly. "I just meant that it's very appropriate for you, since the lion is the emblem of Gryffindor and represents bravery, and power and…" her voice trailed off. She seemed a little embarrassed as she looked off into the trees. Maybe the Firewhiskey was wearing off.

Remus was slightly breathless. He was pretty sure she had been flirting a moment ago and that was very encouraging, but he was _certain_ her last statement wasn't simply playful flattery. She had meant it. When he saw Lily grinning at him like the proverbial cat who caught the canary, he knew she had heard it, too, which meant James and Peter probably had as well. Remus smiled. What were they going to do, _tease_ him about a beautiful girl telling him he was brave and powerful? He really hoped they would, so he would know he hadn't dreamt the entire thing.

The sunlight had nearly faded into dusk, and the explorers took out their wands to provide light in the darkening forest. Remus hadn't been paying attention to where they were going. He was trusting James, Sirius, and Peter to stay focused and lead the way, making sure they didn't come across anything dangerous. It wasn't like him to let others do all the work, but the whole point of the adventure was to give him and Lindi a little time, wasn't it? Well, that and to try to learn if she was a prejudiced git, which he knew was a waste of energy. There was no way she was.

He took a quick look around to gain his bearings. He soon realized that Sirius wasn't exactly totally focused either. Remus couldn't help but wonder at how fast Sirius could move when he noticed Leanna holding onto Sirius' arm as they walked along ahead of the rest. Merlin, what he wouldn't give to have Lindi walking arm in arm with _him_ like that? Sure she was clutching his robe sleeve, but there was a difference in the clearly affectionate way Leanna was leaning against Sirius and the frightened clinging he was getting from Lindi. He was really enjoying their conversation and all, but still….

Fortunately, James was capable of leading the party. _Unfortunately_, he wasn't paying much attention to the forest either. He was too busy trying to impress Lily by regaling her with the story of the time he met the entire Montrose Magpies Quidditch team after they won the 1974 World Cup. He seemed to be under the impression that everyone thought Quidditch was as interesting as he did.

"Mum and Dad took me to Luxembourg for it. It was the nearest it's been in years. It was a bloody close match. If Giloolly hadn't hit Spain's seeker with a Bludger, the Magpies would've lost. I have a Quaffle signed by the entire team," said James. He absently ran his hand through his hair. "If you want, you can come up to the room tonight when we get back, and I'll let you see it," he added in a voice that was so smarmy it made Remus cringe. Remus was certain James had just retaken the title in their competition to see who turned into the bigger berk whenever they got near the girl of their dreams. Lily looked at James with an expression Remus could only describe as repulsed amazement.

"Now there's an offer a girl can hardly refuse, but I'll try to contain my excitement," she said.

Remus and Lindi shared a chuckle at James expense. Poor James, as good as he was at just about everything else, even _he _couldn't come close to Sirius in the romance department. Of course, he did pretty well with girls in general; it was just Lily who turned him into a blooming idiot.

So Peter was actually the only one paying attention. _Oh, for the love of Merlin! _Peter wasn't paying attention either. He was too busy passing Mundungus' bottle of Firewhiskey around with Dung, Darlene, and Celia.

"Peter, what are you doing?" asked Remus, sounding mildly annoyed. Everyone stopped walking and looked at Peter. "I thought we agreed there would be no hard liquor."

"Well, Lindi had some and it's Dung's birthday, Moony," said Peter innocently. "Nobody should drink alone on their birthday."

"Right you are, Petey," said Darlene, giggling as she took a swig from the bottle.

_Ah crap, drunk girls in the forbidden forest. This is just great. That's what I get for letting myself get distracted! _"No one should be drinking at all when we're roaming around the dark forest at night," Remus said. "There were extenuating circumstances in Lindi's case." He looked around again to determine their location. They appeared to be very close to the glade where they were heading, if he remembered correctly.

"Oh, Remus, take off the prefect badge and have some fun," said Celia. She walked over to him and held the bottle out, smiling rather enticingly.

"No thank you, Celia," he said stiffly.

"It's alright, Remus," said Mundungus. "I got plenty ta share."

"Yes, I see that," said Remus.

"Remus is right," said Lily sternly. "You need to put the Firewhiskey away."

"Oh, no," drawled Celia, "it's the _other _prefect."

"Shut it, Celia," snapped Lily. "We are in the middle of the forbidden forest. We need to be on our guard. What would you do if some wild creature decided to come at us, _breathe_ on him?"

"Oh, Lily, it's just a little Firewhiskey. I'm of age; I'm allowed," said Celia. "We're not going to get bladdered or anything."

"Right," said Darlene. "We're just trying to have a little fun."

"They're right, Darlene," said Lindi. "You need to be alert."

"Oh, you are one to talk. Don't tell me what _I_ need to be,_Lindi_," snapped Darlene. "Unless you want me to tell you what _you_ need…"

That was it. Remus had had enough of Darlene's cattiness. "Darlene, what happened wasn't Lindi's fault. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine," he said steadily and hoped that his double message got through. From the look on Darlene's face, he thought it might have. From the look on Lindi's face, she was about to have another panic attack. But before she could, they were mercifully distracted.

"Oooooh! Look!" cried Leanna pointing to a cluster of underbrush between the trees. Remus couldn't believe his eyes.

"Shhh! You'll scare him," hissed Celia.

Standing mere feet away, pawing at the ground with a large hoof, was Prongs. _The Bloody show-off! _Remus almost laughed. He wondered if anyone would notice James' convenient disappearance, but at least it was a nice distraction.

"Oh, Lindi, it's him," whispered Lily excitedly. "I wonder where Randy is."

"That's probably who he's looking for," said Lindi, smiling.

"Who's _Randy_?" asked Celia.

"Randy Mutt," answered Lily, "his boyfriend." Lily and Lindi giggled. Sirius didn't seem to find it quite so humorous. Prongs snorted, but Remus still couldn't tell his happy snorts from his angry ones, so it was hard to say. But Peter thought it was funny and so did Remus.

"He's a really big black dog," said Lindi. "We've seen them together."

"Oh, is that the one you were telling me about last spring?" asked Leanna. "The one trying to look up your skirt?" Lindi blushed and nodded.

"Yeah," said Lily. "Apparently he swings both ways." The girls giggled more loudly.

"Sounds like he swings _all _ways. Male, female, stag, human…" said Peter, sniggering wildly. _How much Firewhiskey did Peter drink? _Remus wondered in amusement.

Sirius smirked rather dangerously at Peter. "Careful, Wormtail, he might hear you and decide to take a bite out of your arse."

As Peter tried to stop laughing, Prongs made an impressive leap over the tangle of scrub and vanished quietly into the darkness.

"Aww, he's gone," said Darlene.

"He must have caught the scent of his mate," said Leanna, grinning. "Did you see how he leaped over that bush?"

"Something probably _scared_ him away," said Sirius. He shot Remus a _you-owe-me_ look when Lindi pressed herself against Remus' arm and looked around to see what might have scared the huge stag away.

"I prefer to think it was the pull of his true love," said Celia. She held up the bottle of Firewhiskey. "To the lovely stag and his randy mutt."

"I'll drink to that," said Darlene.

_Crap,_ _not the Firewhiskey_ _again_. Remus didn't want to have to play prefect tonight. He wasn't really sure what to do about Celia since she _was_ of age. Still, he didn't want to have to deal with this now, especially after the tense exchange with Darlene already. He and Lily shared a look. They both understood the danger of roaming the dark forest intoxicated.

"Celia, I know you are of age and I can't tell you not to drink on your own time, but we brought you here and you have to respect the danger, otherwise, we'll have to go back," said Remus.

"I thought you said the places you were taking us to were alright," said Leanna, nervously.

"Relatively speaking, they are," said Sirius. "But it isn't like sitting in an empty classroom in the dungeons. If you all want to get pissed, that's where we need to go."

"Who said we were getting pissed," said Darlene. "Just because _Lindi _can't hold her liquor…"

Suddenly a loud growling noise came from the trees behind them. Remus turned quickly to see an upright figure careening towards them, its face glowing eerily. He couldn't raise his wand because Lindi was now cutting the circulation off in his arm. In the brief moment it took for Remus to register what exactly was happening, time seemed to slow to a crawl. There was a lot of shrieking and he heard the sound of shattering glass. Dung let out an impressive string of obscenities. Remus found himself being dragged to the ground under the weight of Lindi and at least one of the other girls who had thrown themselves on him (he wasn't sure which one). He was pretty sure he heard Sirius howling and then…

"_Stupefy_!" A flash of red light lit up the trees around them. There was a gasp and a thick thud.

"Bloody hell, Evans!" cried Sirius, rushing towards the flattened heap on the ground.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" cried Lily, who had joined him.

"What's going on?" gasped Lindi, still clinging to the sleeve of Remus' robes, her eyes so wide he thought they might fall out of their sockets.

"Nothing, Lindi," said Remus. "It's alright. Come on, I'll show you."

He extricated himself from her clutches and then Darlene's. Darlene seemed more shaken than Lindi this time and once he was standing, he helped her to her feet. Lindi was up before he had a chance to offer her a hand and they joined the others beside the heap.

"_Arghhh_, that stupid prat!" cried Celia and she gave the heap a swift kick.

"Whoa, Kellar, take it easy," said Sirius.

"Yes, Celia," Lily said coolly. "Wait until I _Ennervate_ him so he can _feel_ it!"

She revived James and he sat rubbing his shoulder and looking a little dazed until the girls had finished their tirade.

"You scared the bloody _crap_ out of me!"

"Why would you do something like that?"

"Are you _mad_?"

"You're lucky I only _stunned_ you, you _idiot_!"

"Please don't ever do that again!"

"You made Celia break my bottle!" Dung added to the shrill fray.

It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down and James was finally able to explain why he had done it.

"I was just trying to make Moony and Evans' point about being alert, and look what happened. Everybody panicked. Well, except Evans," said James, casting an admiring glance Lily's way.

"You stupid git, I don't need you to make my point," snapped Lily. "Somebody could have been hurt!"

"Well, Remus got tackled pretty well, but I don't think he minded," said James with a smirk.

_Oh, just shut up James. Tell her you're sorry and let it go._ But, Remus had to appreciate James' effort to diffuse the Firewhiskey situation, since in another second, Darlene and Lindi would have likely ended up in a row. At the very least, Darlene had been on the verge of hurting Lindi's feelings. Still, holding your wand and casting _Lumos _up under your face like that and running screaming out of the woods at a bunch of unsuspecting people with their _own_ wands out was _not_ the smartest thing James had ever done. He _was_ lucky Lily hadn't hit him with something more damaging. As it was, James was still rubbing his shoulder where it had hit a rock when he had fallen.

But, soon, things were calm and the Firewhiskey was no longer a problem as it had seeped into the forest floor. Well, Dung was already three sheets, and Celia and Darlene weren't feeling any pain, Peter might have been slightly inebriated and Lindi still seemed to be a little light headed, but at least they wouldn't be getting any _worse_. Remus only hoped they didn't run into anything more dangerous than James, since half of them were in varying degrees of intoxication. They continued the trek to the glade.

"Nice reflexes back there, Evans," said James, when they got on their way. "I love a woman who keeps a cool head. Go out with me. Go to the Halloween Masquerade with me."

"I just hexed you for being an _idiot_, and you are asking me _out_?" Lily asked incredulously.

"I won't take it personally," said James lightly. "You didn't know it was me did you?"

Lily shook her head. "I don't know how you can look so…_nearly_ normal and still be so incredibly raving."

"Is that a yes?"

Lily hung her head and sighed. She turned and fell into place beside Remus.

"I'm sorry, Remus, but you have to save me. How did you end up with such freakishly obnoxious friends when you are so nice and normal?"

Remus nearly laughed. _Yep, that's me, nice and _normal

James smiled like a scamp. Remus could only imagine the responses rolling around in that roguish brain of his. Any moment now, Remus expected James to throw in something about his _furry little problem_. _Just be quiet James. For once in your life, just keep it to yourself._ Remus could see James struggling with whether to say something or not. How often did he get a more perfect opening to tease someone? It would be torture for James to let an opportunity like this pass. He glanced from Remus to Lindi and after obvious internal debate; he seemed to decide to give Remus a break. After all, James was supposed to be _helping _Remus with Lindi.

Remus thought he should probably return the favor. "Freakishly obnoxious friends can be really entertaining, Lily." It wasn't much, but it was all he could think of at the moment. He was relieved when Lily and James both laughed.

Finally, they reached the glade and Sirius turned and told everyone to extinguish their wands. Now in darkness, they could see the glow coming from the clearing just ahead. They stepped out through the break in the trees.

"Ohhh, look."

"Oooo, it's lovely."

"I've never seen so many."

The glade sparkled with what must have been hundreds of fairies of every color imaginable. Their lights flickered with the beating of their shimmering wings as they flitted around the glade and in and out of the trees surrounding it. Remus looked down at Lindi's beaming face. He could see the twinkling lights reflected in her eyes.

"They're beautiful," she sighed.

"Yeah," he breathed. Oh, he wished they were alone…

"Bloody hell! Gerroff! Oy, somebody…" cried Mundungus. He had walked out into the center of the glade, grabbed a fairy and was being swarmed. They were tugging at his hair, jabbing their fingers at his eyes and one seemed to have lodged itself in his left ear.

Remus shook his head at the spectacle before him. Oh yes, he _really_ wished he and Lindi were alone.

"Dung, let it go and stop swatting at them," laughed Sirius. "You're just making them angry."

"Tell them how lovely they are," shouted Remus.

"What? Oh yeah, right," cried Dung. "You're pretty little fairies! Gerroff me pretty fairies! Lovely fairies, you are, aren't ye? _Ouch_, Crikey, you're really beautiful you are!" It took quite a bit of flattery to make up for the swatting, but eventually, the fairies were appeased and let Dung alone.

The others were much more cautious before proceeding into the glade. After telling the fairies how magnificent they were, Sirius asked if they would be so kind as to allow their group to come into the glade and enjoy the fairies' unrivaled beauty for a while. The fairies were more than happy to allow the explorers a chance to stay and admire them.

James and Sirius set about conjuring blankets to cover the ground, Remus lit a magical fire and Peter proceeded to remove the shrinking charms from the food items they had been given by Madam Rosmerta. Meanwhile, the girls wandered through the glade admiring the fairies. Dung had gone to relieve himself.

"Well, this is going pretty well, don't you think?" asked Peter.

"It would go better if Darlene would keep her mouth shut," said Remus, lowering himself onto one of the blankets and warming his hands by the fire.

"Ah, what are you moaning about, Moony?" said Sirius. "Things were looking rather _cozy_ to me."

"I'm surprised you even noticed, Padfoot," said James, smirking. "Things were getting pretty cozy for _you,_ too."

"Yeah, you're just jealous. That's why you had to go show off back there, _Prongs_," said Sirius lightly.

"True," said James. "But was Haversham telling _you_ what a brave, _lionhearted_ Gryffindor you are?"

"_What_?" barked Sirius.

"You didn't hear? Oh, Remus, you're so brave and strong," teased James, leaning over and grabbing on to Remus' sleeve, batting his eyes.

"Alright," grinned Remus. "It wasn't like that."

"Bollucks!" cried James. "I think we need to just go back to the castle and leave the two of you alone."

"She actually said you were _lionhearted_?" asked an amazed Sirius.

"No," insisted Remus. "It wasn't _like_ that."

"Sure it was," argued Peter as he sliced a piece of cheese and placed it on a biscuit. "She said under your _quiet exterior_ beat the heart of a lion. Don't deny it." He popped the biscuit into his mouth.

Remus felt his face starting to burn. He wasn't convinced that it was simple embarrassment, though. He was fairly sure part of it was the thought that she _had _said it. He got that tight feeling in his chest like he wasn't getting enough air. He glanced over his shoulder to where the girls had started doing some sort of ballroom dance. He actually wished they all _would_ just leave him and Lindi alone.

"Well, she had too much Firewhiskey," he said.

"She didn't have _that_ much," said James.

"Yep, you always have to watch out for the quiet ones," joked Sirius. He looked at Remus, his eyes just narrowing and a smile curling on his lip. "So, what are you going to do about it, _lionheart_?"

Remus thought for a moment. He knew what he _wanted_ to do. He looked back over the glade at the girls. He laughed off the ridiculously irrational twinge of jealousy towards Lily. _He_ wanted to be the one with his hand on Lindi's waist twirling her around in the moonlight.

"Blimey," Mundungus interrupted Remus' thoughts as he flopped heavily onto the blanket across the fire, "witches dancin together in the forest under the moon. Muggles'd have a fit, cept they think they do it naked."

"Merlin, what I wouldn't give to see that," said Sirius.

"Well, if James hadn't made Celia drop my bottle," Mundungus moaned.

"Dream on Dung. It would take more than a bottle of Firewhiskey," said James.

"Yeah, does anybody know how to cast the Imperius Curse?" Sirius laughed.

"That's an unforgivable," said Peter, his eyes a little wide as if he thought Sirius might be serious.

"Yes, Wormtail, I know that," said Sirius. "But it would almost be worth ending up in Azkaban, don't you think?"

"Who's going to Azkaban?" asked Leanna kneeling down on the blanket next to Sirius.

"No one," Sirius said, hiding his grin.

"Well, if Darlene doesn't leave Lindi alone, they might not end up in Azkaban, but detention is a real possibility or hospital," said Leanna helping herself to a biscuit.

Remus looked up and saw the rest of the girls drawing near. Lily looked at him and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Something had just happened between Lindi and Darlene, and it was obviously not good. He could hardly believe it when Lindi took the open spot next to Mundungus allowing the spaces next to him to be taken by Celia and Darlene. It was all rather awkward and Remus knew he should wipe the dejected look off his face, but after the way things had been going, he was just glad he didn't lose his temper and tell Darlene off once and for all. A part of him had a few words for Lindi as well. Why was she pulling away again? And why was Darlene sitting next to him in Lindi's spot? _Crap!_

"So," said Celia brightly. Remus got the impression she was enjoying the tension between Lindi and Darlene for some reason. Celia did have a reputation for enjoying gossip. "Can you pass me a butterbeer, Peter?"

Soon, everyone had started nibbling and conversing quietly. Slowly, the chill began to thaw again and James glanced Remus' way.

"How about a little game to liven things up?" he said cheerfully.

"What do you have in mind, Potter?" asked Celia, a twinkle in her eye. "Spin the wand, or maybe Truth or Dare?"

Lily groaned. "This is not going to deteriorate into a make-out party, Celia. And I would have to be held at wand point to play Truth or Dare with this lot."

"Ah, come on, Evans, a little Truth or Dare could be fun," said James. "Of course, so could Spin the Wand." He waggled his brow.

Remus was watching Lindi's reaction. She looked terribly uncomfortable, and Remus had to admit he didn't want to end up playing Spin the Wand either, not tonight anyway. It would be just his luck that Lindi would spin it to land on one of the others. He really didn't want to watch her experience what was likely to be her first kiss with one of his friends or Dung. It had been bad enough watching Sirius lean in to her all those months ago during the stupid bet.

"Dream on, Potter," said Lily. "You all can play, but I want no part of it."

"I don't want to play either," said Lindi nervously.

"I wouldn't mind playing a little Truth or Dare," said Darlene. "I've got nothing to hide and I'm not a chicken."

"Well, you should be," said Lily. "Cora McKinnon -- she left last year -- she played with them once and ended up getting three nights in detention with Professor Slughorn for running through the Slytherin boys dorm in her underwear."

"Was she insane?" gasped Lindi.

"She played Truth or Dare with this lot, of course she was insane," said Lily.

"How on earth did she get into the Slytherin dorm?" asked Leanna.

"Ask them," said Lily with a wave at the Marauders. "Cora never told. She said they swore her to secrecy and put a curse on her if she ever did. Apparently, they take their curses seriously too, because Cora withstood quite a lot of torment from some of the Slytherins who wanted to know how she got in as well. So, I wouldn't break your vow of silence about this little adventure."

Remus noticed the very smug faces on his friends and smiled.

"Okay, so no one wants to play Truth or Dare with us, how about _Woodyashaga_?" James said.

"Wooda_whad_a?" asked Mundungus thickly.

"_Woodyashaga_," repeated James.

"I never heard of that game," said Darlene. "Is it some _Muggle_ thing?"

"No, it isn't a _Muggle _thing," said Lily irritably. "It doesn't exist. Potter just made it up so he can get his jollies being all perverted."

"What do you mean?" asked Lindi, confused.

"Would-ya-_shag_-a? He wants us to talk about who we'd shag," Lily said bluntly. Lindi's eyes popped.

"Not who, more _what_," said James, completely unashamed.

"Oh, you are such a, a…_ahh_," Lily sighed. She couldn't seem to come up with what, exactly, James was at the moment.

Remus had to admit calling this a _game_ was a bit of a stretch, even for James. And he had thought they might actually be _subtle_ in their investigation of Lindi's possible prejudice. When James had said they would "ask her some questions," Remus had never dreamt they meant they would _literally_ ask her. He could just imagine her face when they asked, "Lindi, woodyashaga werewolf?" Actually, no he couldn't imagine it. He didn't know if he was ready for the answer, but there was no time like the present. _Might as well find out before you get in any deeper, as if you aren't already in too deep._

"Come on, Evans, what's the harm?" asked Sirius. "Or are you afraid we'll find out you have an affinity for the bizarre?"

"Insinuating that I have an urge to shag some bizarre creature isn't going to make me want to play your ridiculous _game _to prove otherwise," Lily said.

"Maybe you're just afraid we'll find out you are a narrow-minded, prejudiced, _Muggle-born_ git instead of the more typical prejudiced, _pure-blood_ git," taunted Sirius. "You've been in our world long enough to realize that we actually have more romantic _options_ than Muggles do. Humans aren't the only intelligent beings you know."

"He's right, Lily, let's see how open-minded we all are," said Celia. "I think this could be fun."

"I have a feeling I know how open-minded you are, Celia, and I'm not sure I want to actually face it," Lily smirked. Celia laughed.

To Remus' dismay, they actually agreed to play W_oodyashaga_. He had been involved in some interesting, bizarre, even reckless things with his friends before, but he had never participated in anything quite so brazenly _absurd _as this. Of course, it wasn't that far out from things that were inevitably asked in a game of Truth or Dare.

"Are we going to put truth charms on ourselves so we know who is lying?" asked Celia.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Leanna.

After another moment of arguing, they decided that, while not necessary, it would make things a little more fun and Lily and James volunteered to place the charms on everyone. Lily, of course, did the Marauders since the girls were all far too bright to trust them to do themselves. James presented the rules for play. It was his made-up game, after all.

"We'll spin the wand to see who asks the first question. That person will spin the wand to pick who they will ask. The person being asked has to say _yes_ or _no_ and give their reasons, then it's their turn to spin the wand and ask…"

"We have to give a reason?" asked Lily.

"Sure, if you're a prejudiced git, I want to know why," Sirius said.

"I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to this," said Lily, shaking her head.

"Me, neither," said Lindi, grimacing. "I think I wish I had more Firewhiskey."

"Do _you_ have something to hide?" asked Sirius, raising a brow at Lindi. "Don't tell me you're into kinky stuff like Evans is."

"_Hah_!" Darlene huffed. Everyone stared at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Lindi. "Are you trying to imply that I am?"

"Oh, _please_, Lindi," said Darlene in the most demeaning voice she could have mustered. "You can't be into anything _kinky_ if you aren't into anything _at all_."

The hurt and embarrassed look on Lindi's face was almost more than Remus could take. He wanted nothing more than to hex Darlene silent for good. Lindi opened her mouth and shut it again as she always seemed to do when she didn't know how to respond. Even Lily seemed speechless.

"Darlene, will you just…" said Leanna.

But Lindi stopped her. "Leanna…" She made a pleading face to silence her friend.

"Don't worry, Dellington, we're about to find out just how kinky _everybody_ is," James said, grinning that cheeky grin of his. Remus had to hand it to James, he was doing his best to diffuse every situation that arose and threatened to ruin their night. It was really quite impressive that he hadn't resorted to hexing Darlene. James was showing great restraint. When Lindi smiled thankfully, Remus decided he owed James. Maybe he'd try working on Lily a bit more. After all, turnaround was fair play, right? Of course, Lily wasn't easily influenced.

"Honestly, I don't think I want to know this much about you," Lindi said. "Can't we play woodya_snog_a instead? It's just less…obscene."

"Nah, we need the intimacy factor to make it more interesting," said James. Remus shook his head, as if snogging wasn't intimate enough for the silly game.

When play finally got underway, it didn't take long for Remus to realize that one of his friends had to be controlling the spinning wand. He was pretty sure it was Sirius, as his hand was tucked into his pocket instead of around Leanna. Conveniently enough, James won the first spin and managed to spin the wand to point at Lily.

"Great," said James, as if this was sheer luck. "I've been dying to know this for months. So, Evans, _woodyashaga_ giant squid?"

The Gryffindors burst into laughter while the Ravenclaws looked repulsed. They had not witnessed Lily's declaration that she'd sooner go out with the giant squid than James.

"Absolutely not," laughed Lily.

"Why not? You have to give the reason," said James.

"Hmm, let's see, because the thought is too disgusting to even imagine," said Lily, with and exaggerated grimace.

"So, let me get this right," said Sirius. "You said you'd go out with the giant squid before you'd go out with Prongs, right?"

"Yes, I said that," said Lily.

"So does that mean you'd _shag _the giant squid before Prongs?" asked Sirius.

Lily's lips were twitching as she glanced over at James. "Yes, I guess that's what that means."

Everyone chuckled. Lily's nose had grown about a half an inch. "_Aha_," cried James. "You're lying!"

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," sighed Lily. "Alright, I lied. But saying I'm more likely to shag _you_ than the giant squid isn't saying much, I can honestly tell you _that_." And Lily's nose shrank back to normal.

"I have a question," said Lindi, frowning. "I thought we were just asking about other beings. I didn't know we could ask about someone specific. I don't think we should be able to ask about someone specific. I don't want to play if it's going to get personal."

"Oh, you _do_ have something to hide, don't you?" said Sirius cocking a brow.

Remus could see Lindi's cheeks redden even in the dim light of the fire. "No I don't," she said and he almost laughed with the others. "What? I just think it would be too-er- gauche. I mean if it's specific, and well, if the answer is yes then what if the other didn't or if it's no then it might hurt someone's feelings-er-I mean if it got around or something and I just don't think that's right. I'm not playing if it's specific." She sat there with her arms crossed and her rosy cheeks clashing horribly with her pea green hair. Remus had no doubt that she meant what she said about not playing, but she obviously _did_ have something to hide. "What is so funny?" she asked.

"We are two for two with the girls lying," said Sirius. "Good thing we decided to use the truth charms. By the way, Dellington, that's not your color."

Lindi looked around confused until she caught a glimpse of the green hair lying on her shoulder. "_Arghh_," she cried. "I -- this isn't -- it wasn't even my turn!"

"Just admit you have something to hide," said Lily, straining not to smile. "Everyone has _something_ to hide."

Lindi closed her eyes hard, and though it clearly pained her to do so, she admitted it. Remus would have given anything at that moment to know who it was she didn't want to have specified. He had an idea, but it was probably incredibly wishful thinking. Her hair back to normal, Lindi insisted once again that they should keep the game non-specific.

"Fine, we'll keep it general," said James with a twinkle in his eye. "Evans, it's your turn." Lily spun the wand and it landed on Mundungus.

She discovered that yes, Mundungus would shaga Merwoman. "Cause the murky water would blur my eyes anyway, an there's somethin kinda sexy bout doin it while I'm floatin."

"Dung, I get the feeling you are always floating," said Sirius.

Dung discovered that Darlene would not shaga vampire as they were "Dark, blood-sucking creatures that would drain me just when I was _distracted_."

"Alright, Black, woodyashaga hag?" asked Darlene on her turn.

"Wilkins, you're going to expose me for the shallow snob that I am," Sirius said. "I'm afraid I just don't do ugly. Of course, given enough Firewhiskey, anything's possible I guess."

"Is that a yes or a no?" said James.

"No if I'm sober, not _impossible_ if I'm totally bladdered," said Sirius.

"_Ugh_, you are such a pig!" said Lily.

"I know, these teenage hormones are a frightening thing," Sirius said matter-of-factly. He looked at Leanna and winked.

Remus smiled to himself. Sirius loved his naughty boy reputation, even though he wasn't nearly as naughty as a lot of people thought. He was obviously telling the truth, but the thing was, Sirius didn't get _totally_ bladdered. He didn't like being _that _out of control. If he was going to do something stupid or reckless, it was going to be because he wanted to, not because he couldn't help himself. Of course, he was reckless enough cold sober.

Sirius gave the wand a spin. When it ended up pointing at Remus, he nearly cringed at the wicked glint in Sirius' eye. This was not going to be good.

"Alright, Moony, your turn," Sirius grinned. "Under any circumstance _at all_, woodyashaga…dog?"

_Bastard!_ To Remus' great regret, he had confided in his friends, shortly after they had mastered the Animagus Transformation, that one of his greatest fears, apart from killing or infecting someone, was that he would do something disgusting, like mate with an animal, during the full moon. There was little written on this in his books on Lycanthropy, as it was nearly impossible for researchers to get that sort of data. But, he had heard people claim that a particularly vicious or un-trainable dog was the product of werewolves mating with the mother. All of the evidence refuted such claims, _thank God_, but it didn't stop prejudiced gits from claiming it just the same. And, since during the full moon he was actually an animal himself, it seemed _possible_ that he could try to mate with one, and it disturbed him greatly. Before he had agreed to let them release the wolf from the Shrieking Shack, he had made them promise they wouldn't allow that to happen. Now, he had to figure out how to answer this question without his hair turning green or his nose growing. He realized that he was hesitating for too long and getting some strange and suspicious looks. He smiled ruefully at Sirius.

"I would have to be completely out of my right mind to shag a dog," he said, trying hard to make it all sound like a big joke.

Sirius laughed. "Why is that?"

"Because I'm not at all attracted to drooling, shedding, mangy creatures that would give me fleas," he said, and quickly gave the wand a spin to prevent any further discussion on the matter. As it swirled, he really hoped it didn't stop on Lindi. Surely Sirius wouldn't expect _him_ to ask her, but you never really knew what Sirius might do. It was a great relief when the point of the wand rested towards Leanna.

"Leanna, woodyashaga." Remus paused; he could hardly believe he was actually asking a girl that. "Woodyashaga giant?"

"Oh, I don't think so," said Leanna apologetically.

"And why not?" teased Sirius.

"Well, I suppose it would be their rather volatile nature and," Leanna hesitated. She looked to Lindi who was waiting anxiously for the response, a look of apprehensive amusement all over her face. Lindi seemed to be having more fun than she had expected. "They're just so…big. I just can't imagine having an attraction."

"Ah hah!" cried Sirius. "Size does matter!" Lindi put her hand over her eyes as her face blazed and she tried not to giggle. Leanna gave Sirius a flirtatious slap on the arm.

When Leanna's spin landed on Peter, Remus wondered if anyone else thought it was suspicious that the wand had never chosen the same person twice, but no one seemed concerned about that. He watched as Sirius removed his hand from his pocket and put it to Leanna's ear and whispered something. Leanna chuckled and nodded.

To the Marauders enormous relief, they learned that Peter would not shaga _man_ since he didn't swing that way, so they wouldn't have to kill him for lusting after their sexy bods all these years. When Peter took his spin, Remus could see the dread on Lindi's face. She seemed to shrink when it came to a halt, and he braced himself for her response. This was it.

"Lindi, woodyashaga werewolf?" asked Peter, only slightly hesitantly.

Relief flooded over her face. She wasn't going to have trouble with this one. "No," she said simply.

Remus' felt as though his lungs were frozen. He hoped the devastation wasn't etched all over his face. That was that.

"Why not?" snapped Sirius a bit too loudly.

Lindi looked befuddled. "Because I don't think it's possible for me to be romantically involved with something that would rather eat me for dinner than snog me."

"What?" hissed Sirius, glaring at her.

Remus really wished his friends wouldn't act so personally insulted. It was hard enough for him to keep a straight face and pretend he wasn't crushed.

"Not a _transformed_ werewolf, Lindi," said Peter.

"Oh, well, why didn't you say so?" she asked. Remus felt a tiny glimmer of hope revive.

"Because it goes without saying that you aren't going to shag a _transformed_ werewolf," said Sirius rather insultingly.

"Well, it went without saying that Lily isn't going to shag a giant squid either, but James asked _her_ anyway," argued Lindi. _Point to Lindi. Merlin she's adorable_, Remus thought, even if she had just nearly crushed his heart and still might.

"Alright," said James. "So, Lindi, woodyashaga _non-transformed_ werewolf?"

She didn't have a quick response this time. Remus held his breath as she stared off into the blackness of the forest, thinking. He wondered what she was considering. _Come on, Lindi._


	24. The Answer Is As Clear As Pea Soup

**Chapter 24 The Answer Is As Clear as Pea Soup**

**Summary: Lindi struggles to give an honest answer to the difficult question and some awkward information is introduced into the game. The Marauders were looking for prejudice and unfortunately, they find some. James and Sirius devise a plan to help Remus out. **

_**A/N: **So sorry for the delay. After leaving you with a cliff hanger, I had no intention of leaving you hanging so long, but I came down with a rather nasty case of what I'll call Muggleitis where I was mired down in a mess and my wonderful beta, Dr. deanine had to try to cure me and help me dig myself out. Any lingering symptoms are due to my stubborn failure to follow her prescribed treatment fully and should not be held against her in any way. I haven't said it in a while, so let me take a moment to thank her for being such a great beta. Thank you deanine! Now, on to Lindi's answer._

Remus sat quietly watching Lindi as she seemed to search the darkness for an answer. For a long moment, it seemed that everyone had been frozen in time. Only the buzzing of the fairies' wings betrayed the continuing passage of time. _Come on Lindi_, Remus thought, as if he could influence her by sheer will. What on earth was she thinking?

"Oh for Merlin's sake," hissed Darlene. "You can't be seriously considering it, even if it is just a stupid game."

Remus and his friends turned to look at her. He had the feeling that their dislike for the girl had become nearly as great as his own. _Why did I ever snog that girl...why? _He forced the most unperturbed face he could manage and wished James, Sirius, and Peter would do the same and stop glaring at her. They were going to make people suspicious.

"Why can't she?" asked Celia lightly.

Darlene looked incredulous. "Because not even Lindi is that naïve." Lindi started to react to the very backhanded compliment, but Darlene wasn't finished. "She's not stupid enough to expose herself to something like that."

"What do you mean _expose_ herself to _something like that_?" asked Sirius with barely veiled loathing.

"I mean a vile and dangerous creature with a horrible contagious disease, what do you think I mean?" said Darlene. She might have been feeling less inhibited because of the Firewhiskey, but she wasn't nearly drunk enough to blame her _opinions _on the liquor.

For an instant, it looked like Sirius was going to leap up and strangle Darlene with his bare hands. Remus had learned to expect that kind of venomous insult when he was still very young, but his friends weren't used to it. In all honesty, Remus hadn't been confronted with anything so hostile in quite a long time, since very few people at Hogwarts knew about him, and lycanthropy wasn't the kind of thing people generally discussed at dinner. His friends were getting another lesson in what life could be like for him, and they didn't seem to be enjoying it any more than _he _was. He was afraid the game had gone further than they had planned, and it was about to get ugly, but it was Lindi's quiet voice that filled the tense pause.

"I don't think that's really fair, Darlene. According to our text, they're just normal people outside of full moon. They aren't dangerous or contagious except when they're in wolf form," she said reasonably. Remus wanted to take her and run away that very moment.

"Oh grow up, Lindi." Darlene shook her head in a very derogatory manner. "My cousin Henry works on the Werewolf Capture Unit in the Beast Division at the Ministry. You'd probably die of shock to hear some of the things that he says go on in the werewolf colonies. They're savages, brutal and completely immoral. They just do whatever they want, wild parties, drinking and sex all the time."

Remus tried to breathe calmly as Lindi put her hand to her mouth, looking repulsed and a bit confused. He knew some of the things that went on in the werewolf colonies that existed on the fringes of wizarding society. His father had confirmed some of the rumors he had heard about them stealing and even killing to get food and clothes.

"They're desperate people, Remus," his father had told him gravely. "They allow despair to take hold, and they become easy prey for someone like Fenrir Greyback who feeds into that despair and turns it into bitterness and anger towards _normal_ wizards. They turn to violence and crime and it only buries the wedge between them and the rest of society deeper. It's amazing in a way. They listen to a degenerate like Greyback telling them that _wizards_ are to blame for all that is wrong in their lives when half the time, _he_ is probably responsible for biting them in the first place. That's not to say wizards haven't made their lot tougher. As you well know, it isn't an easy life, but promise me you'll never give in to that kind of despair."

It had been a very disturbing lesson for Remus to learn about _his_ kind. Still, he hadn't heard about any wild bacchanalian sex fests.

"They're having orgies?" asked Sirius scathingly. "I never dreamed werewolves were such a _fun_ lot."

"You know, Wilkins," said James more seriously. "There probably are some immoral werewolves out there, just like there are bad people in every other group, but I'm also sure that if there was any proof that there were wild orgies going on, the anti-werewolf contingent would be shouting it from the roof tops, and I've never read anything about it in the _Daily Prophet_."

"Well, that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Who in there right mind would go in there to see it? Even our text says they prey on _normal_ humans," Darlene said.

"But only during their transformation at the full moon," Lindi said hesitantly.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Darlene. "According to Henry, some people are starting to rethink those old beliefs."

Remus continued to watch as Lindi paused to think again. He passed a very discreet silencing glance to his friends so that they didn't interrupt. They clearly hadn't been prepared for this turn in the _game_, but he really wanted to get Lindi's opinion, now that they had started this. Or did he?

"I'm no expert on Lycanthropy," said Lindi, "but I _did_ read an article in _The Journal of_ _Modern Healing_ about some new studies. For the most part, they confirm that werewolves are _not_ a threat to anyone while they're in their human form."

A feeling of hopefulness started to rise slowly in Remus' chest. Lindi's Ravenclaw side was showing. _The Journal of_ _Modern Healing_ wasn't exactly the kind of _light _reading a typical teenage witch enjoyed. It was also becoming clear that she wasn't a prejudiced git. Not that he had ever believed she could be. She might not decide that she _would_ shaga werewolf, but it wasn't going to be due to some preconceived or uninformed prejudice. She was giving werewolves—she was giving _him— _the benefit of the doubt. He couldn't ask for more than that. He wished they could just end the _game_ now. Of course, that was unlikely at this point.

"What article?" hissed Darlene.

"Is that the article on contamination in saliva?" Remus asked calmly.

"Yes, did you read it?" Lindi answered. She smiled when he nodded, as if she thought they simply shared similar tastes in reading material. It was the first smile he'd gotten from her since whatever had happened with Darlene when the girls had been dancing. Actually, it was the first time she'd even _looked _at him since.

"What article, Remus?" asked Sirius. Yes, this _game_ had gotten to be a little more than just silly fun; that was obvious from Sirius's use of Remus's real name.

"It was just an article on some research that was done into the possibility of transmission of the lycanthropic curse through contamination in saliva," Remus said in his best offhanded manner.

"What in bloomin blazes are ya talkin bout?" groaned Mundungus. "Are we playin the game er writin a thesis?"

Remus chuckled, grateful for the levity. "I'm afraid Lindi hasbeen given a more complicated choice than most," he said.

"Thanks a lot, Peter," she said. "Couldn't you have asked me about a dementor or something?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably.

"I still want to know about this article," said Sirius. "What was it about, Lindi?"

_Good, he's shifting the focus off of me_, thought Remus. He didn't want to be the one having to explain this.

"Well, it was a little technical. A Muggle-born healer at the Increase Mather Hospital in Massachusetts has been researching a cure. He has a Muggle brother who is a, er, human bodyologist?" she said looking to Remus for confirmation.

"I think it's biogilist," Remus said.

"No, it's bio-lo_-_gist," Lily corrected.

"Right, that's it," Lindi said. "Anyway, they've been working together and they did a study on the possibility of passing the curse through other means than the bite. Some people think it's possible that it might be spread by eating after someone or kissing, things like that, like some other diseases."

"What kind of study was it?" asked James curiously.

Remus wondered fleetingly if any of them realized how strange it was for him to sit by and listen to them discuss his curse so dispassionately.

"Well, they started by collecting samples of saliva from a werewolf in human form and looking at it during the full moon to see if it showed any change. They have a device called a magnafyscope or something that makes things bigger, sort of like omnioculars I guess…"

"I think you mean a _micro_scope," offered Lily, looking slightly amused.

"Oh yes, thanks, Lily. Anyway, the _microscope…"_

Remus watched her fixedly while she proceeded to explain the article to the others. She talked about miniscule things called DNAs that might or might not carry the lycanthropic curse and whether or not they could be found living in a non-transformed werewolf's saliva. She seemed very impressed with the Muggle science and technology from the way she continued on, oblivious to the blank or amused faces staring back at her from some of her companions. "Anyway, they found that some of the samples _did_ change during the full moon, proving that the curse _is_ present in the human werewolf's saliva," she said.

"There, you see?" said Darlene triumphantly.

"Well, let me finish. They still can't determine if it could be spread from human to human. Since it's a _curse_ as much as an infection, it could be part of the curse that it can only pass from _wolf _to human in some magical way, with the full moon as the catalyst. They just don't know. Plus, they realized that the lycanthropy DNAs in the saliva died very shortly after they were outside the werewolf's body anyway."

"What does that mean?" asked Peter.

"Only the ones collected within an hour window prior to the full moon were shown to have any change at the time of transformation. Those from earlier seemed to have died."

Well, what does that mean?" asked Peter looking terribly confused.

"I understood it to mean that to be on the safe side, you probably shouldn't snog a werewolf within an hour of his transformation," Lindi said. "But prior to that, snog away."

James and Sirius laughed.

"From what I've heard, I doubt a werewolf would be in any mood to snog that close to the transformation anyway," said James. Remus had to agree with that. He didn't even feel like snogging _Lindi_ that close.

"So, that means you'd shaga werewolf then?" asked Peter happily. Lindi's brow furrowed.

"Well, shagging and snogging are two entirely different things. Shagging brings in a whole other host of complications," she said slowly, frowning.

She started talking about similarities with saliva and _other _bodily fluids. There was a considerable amount of embarrassed squirming going on as she pointed out where else the curse might be present, other than saliva, but she didn't seem to notice as she pressed forward. Perhaps the Firewhiskey was still in her system. The way she was talking about snogging and shagging without blushing furiously, he thought it probably was. He was torn between appreciating how her brain was making logical connections and assumptions, and wishing she wasn't quite as smart as she was. He really didn't want to go where this was headed.

"But if the cursed DNA things die that quickly in the saliva, they would in other…er, _stuff_, too, wouldn't they?" asked James.

Lindi nodded pensively, her brow still furrowed in thought. "Probably," she hesitated. "Of course, if pregnancy occurred, that would be a whole different matter, or at least, it _could_ be."

_Crap_, Remus really didn't want to go where this was heading.

"Dellington, the game is woodya_shaga_, not woodya _bearthechildofa,_" said Sirius impatiently.

"Well, it would be awfully reckless to answer the first without giving consideration to the possibilities of the second, wouldn't it?" she said.

"What do you think it would matter if pregnancy occurred, Lindi? I mean other than the normal problems, of course." asked Lily.

"I don't know. It just seems that if the sperm…" Remus saw a lot of flinching at this, but again, Lindi seemed oblivious as she started thinking out loud. "…carried the DNAs, and there was a pregnancy, the curse might be passed onto the child. I mean, it might not die, since it would then be part of another person. That's very different from the saliva passed through kissing, which doesn't actually become part of someone. It seems quite possible that any child produced would carry the cursed DNAs…" Remus probably would have enjoyed her intelligent rambling if it hadn't been so bloody personal. "If it did, would it transform in the womb? I don't see that the pregnancy could be maintained if it did. I mean, the _human_ werewolf is a being, but during the transformation, it's a beast. Could a human female carry a non-being child? A human female's body would surely reject a transformed werewolf. But then there is the question…"

"_Gawd Blimey, _Dellington!" cried Sirius, clutching his hair. "You are giving me a bloody headache! I wouldn't have thought it possible to suck all the fun out of a game on shagging, but you're managing it!" Lindi's face flushed as some of the others chuckled. "Would you or wouldn't you?"

But James spoke up. "Is there any evidence of this, Lindi?"

"Not that I know of, it was just something that I thought might be possible," she said quietly. "I'm sure someone has looked into it if they did the saliva research, but I've never read any studies on it. Like I said, I don't know that much about it."

James shifted his gaze to Remus. "Have you read anything on it?"

"No." Remus shook his head slightly. "Of course, it would be rather difficult to conduct studies when people are so averse to admitting infection. Plus, werewolves aren't likely to jump at the opportunity to provide assistance when any negative results would likely be used to fuel further prejudice against them, are they?"

"Oh for the love of Merlin, this is supposed to be fun. For the sake of the game, let's assume he's—_sterile_," Sirius said distastefully and cast Remus an apologetic smirk. "Now, can we get on with it?"

While most eyes focused on Lindi again, Remus was aware of James studying him soberly. "There isn't any evidence of this, right?" said James, finally turning his attention to Lindi, as well. "So, let's go on the evidence you _do_ have, because there are all sorts of ifs and exceptions for _any _relationship. The real question is whether or not there is anything that would make it impossible for you to even _consider_ a relationship with someone who happened to be a werewolf."

"Alright, well, according to Newt Scamander, and he's the authority on the subject, they are normal humans except at the full moon, right?" Lindi said hesitantly, looking around for assistance. Leanna shrugged noncommittally.

"All I'm saying is, if Newt Scamander was so convinced that they were perfectly normal and _harmless,_ why did he create the Werewolf Registry, hmm?" hissed Darlene.

"_Arghh,_ Peter, I'm going to get you for this," Lindi groaned. "Can I just say maybe?"

Remus thought that was good enough. He had learned what he wanted to know. After all, she'd need to understand a lot more about the curse than she seemed to, before she'd be able to make a really informed decision. But, he felt it was as safe to take a chance with Lindi as anyone he'd ever known. He already knew he liked her enough to risk just about anything.

"Would you or wouldn't you, yes or no?" insisted Sirius.

"Well," Lindi said, glancing around again for guidance. When her gaze met Remus', he wanted to look away for fear that she would recognize the pleading in his eyes, but he thought _that_ might be incriminating as well. Instead, he forced what he hoped was a lighthearted smile and watched the blush bloom on her cheeks. She looked into the fire and took a deep breath before the words spilled forth. "Based on the little I actually know, I guess I'd say…er… yes. I _guess_ so. I don't see why not, if he's a good person, and I loved him and all, and I don't see what would make that _impossible_, based on the information we have."

Darlene let out an exasperated tutting and mumbled something about how naïve Lindi was, but the game was finally over. Remus knew Lindi _was_ naïve, since there were all sorts of reasons for her _not _to become involved with a werewolf, but it was one of the things he loved about her, er…_liked_ about her. He _liked_ her innocent outlook on things, even though it sometimes worried him. _What are you doing, Remus?_ he wondered, feeling terribly guilty again for wanting her to be involved with him, but the guilt faded when he saw her throw her head back, laughing at something Peter and Dung were saying. Hormones really were a frightening and powerful thing.

As he turned to answer a question Celia had asked him about his interest in Dark Creatures, Remus noticed James staring at him. Remus was thankful he had his dad's occupation to blame for his knowledge, but he was more interested in what was going on in James' devious mind. He soon had the opportunity to find out when several of the girls decided they needed a break.

"I don't suppose you've come across a toilet in your explorations?" Lindi asked bashfully.

"Sure, they're all over the place," answered Sirius. "Only we call them trees."

"Thanks, that helps," said Lily. The girls got to their feet and started to make for the woods. It seemed they were all going to take the opportunity to go. Perhaps they felt there was safety in numbers.

"I could probably conjure a chamber pot for you," offered James. He and Sirius both had been doing quite well in their conjuring lessons during Transfiguration. Even Professor McGonagall had seemed impressed, and that was saying something. With their success at conjuring the blankets they were sitting on, James was obviously feeling confident. After all, the blankets were still there and it had been nearly an hour.

Lily actually smiled at James. "That's very, er, _considerate_ of you. I think we might actually be able to conjure something for _ourselves_, but if not, we'll let you know." There was a slight hint that Lily felt James had challenged her, but she seemed to be taking it very well. At least she hadn't accused him of wanting to show off. That was progress, very slight, but progress just the same. With the exception of Darlene, this night _was_ going well.

When the girls had vanished into the trees on the west side of the glade, James turned to Remus and grinned. "Well, looks like she isn't a prejudiced git."

"I could have told you that," said Remus.

"Okay, so I think you should go for it," said James.

"Thank you for your approval, but how do you suggest I go about it? I was under the impression that I _was_ going for it. It just isn't working."

"Who are you talkin bout?" asked Mundungus. (Remus had almost forgotten he was there.) "Are you tryin to chat up Lindi, Remus?" Remus felt his ears heat up. "Good luck, mate. She's quite the totty, but maybe you should try talkin bout somethin besides the Dark Arts. You know, try somethin a bit more _romantic _like."

"Thank you, Mundungus," Remus said flatly. He nearly winced at the faces his friends were making. How humiliating to be getting advice on romance from a drunk, unabashed underachiever with the nickname _Dung_.

"No problem," said Mundungus, getting clumsily to his feet. "Think I'll go find a tree myself." He lumbered towards the northern edge of the glade and disappeared.

"He isn't _all_ wrong you know, Moony," snorted Sirius.

"What he needs is to _take _her someplace romantic," offered Peter.

"Exactly my thoughts, Wormtail," said James. "It's a lovely night for a visit to the cove, don't you think?"

"A lot of good that would do with her sitting next to Peter and Mundungus," said Remus in frustration.

James rolled his eyes. "That's why you need to take her there _by_ _yourself_."

"How am I supposed to manage that? She won't even _sit_ next to me. Do you honestly think she's going to walk off into the forest alone with me while her friends are watching?"

James ran a hand through his hair, thinking. Before he had an answer, the sound of leaves rustling announced the girls' return and they started clearing up the remnants of their picnic. They made plans to start making their way back towards the castle as soon as Mundungus came strolling into the clearing.

"We still have a little time, so we can take another route back," said James as he and Sirius vanished the blankets. Then the two of them excused themselves to make their own break before they got underway. Remus wondered if anyone else thought this was suspicious, as boys didn't make a habit of going to the toilet in groups as girls tended to do, but as usual, no one else seemed to be concerned. Maybe they weren't as suspicious of James and Sirius as _he_ was. When the two returned a few minutes later, and nothing had happened, Remus thought maybe he shouldn't distrust his friends so much.

------------------------------------------------------

As they got on their way, the dynamic of their group was a bit different from earlier in the evening. James and Sirius were walking along in the lead, their heads together in a way that always made Remus apprehensive. The girls had taken the middle position, moving along in a tight gaggle talking amongst themselves and giggling now and then about one thing or another. From the glances being thrown at Sirius and the way Leanna was grinning, Remus could guess what they were discussing. He wondered what it would be like to have _Lindi_ grin about _him_ that way.

After a few minutes of winding through the trees, Remus started wondering where James and Sirius were leading them. They seemed to be taking a roundabout way back, and he could tell they were looking for something; he just couldn't figure out what. He tried to remember what might be in this part of the forest, but as he was less familiar with it, due to his inability to remember when they roamed under the full moon, he couldn't figure it out. Finally, Sirius held his arm out and stopped James, then turned and made a silencing motion to the others.

"Can anyone see them?" Sirius asked quietly, and Remus knew where they were. He immediately looked towards Lindi, knowing from what he had learned earlier that night that she would be able to see.

"Are these the ones that pull the school coaches?" she asked. Several of the others looked around in confusion.

"What are we looking at?" asked Lily. "I don't see anything and the coaches are horseless carriages…aren't they?"

"No," said Sirius. "They're pulled by thestrals." Sirius was the only Marauder who could see the thestrals. He had been able to since he was five, when one of his great aunts had died in the middle of a family dinner party.

"Oi, I've 'eard of thestrals. They're bad luck, they are," said Mundungus.

Remus started to respond, but James had joined him and motioned for Remus to be quiet and follow him. While the others were distracted by the topic of thestrals, he followed James a short distance into the woods, where they hid behind a giant thistle plant. James grinned mischievously.

"Sirius and I have come up with a plan."

Remus stared warily, waiting for what was coming next. _Uh oh, those are famous last words. _The look on his face must have conveyed his concern.

"Well, if you don't want to get Dellington alone, we can forget it," James taunted. He turned and acted like he was going to leave. Remus thought he should just let him, but couldn't seem to stop himself. He grabbed James by the sleeve.

"Right then," James grinned. "We only have a minute, so just listen. We'll create a diversion. Make sure you know whereDellington is so you can grab her when the time comes. Then just run. We'll keep the others occupied and take them back to the castle." He held up his hand to silence Remus. There were a million questions Remus could have asked, but James kept going. "Here, take this, just in case." James handed him a small mirror. "If you need us, which I hope you won't or Sirius will never let you hear the end of it, just call. Sirius has his. Don't forget, we have to be back in the castle by six. You don't have a lot of time, but you should be able to accomplish _something_." James waggled his brow. "Got it?"

"What kind of diversion?"

"Never mind, you'll know it when you see it. That way, you have deniability. Just make sure you know where Dellington is."

"You aren't going to do something stupid and get yourself stunned again are you?"

"Insult me like that again and you can forget my help. Just don't worry about us. We're going to fill Evans in. Come on we need to get back before they miss us. You wait a minute so they don't see us come back together. Deniability, remember." He gave another grin and turned.

Remus watched James sneak up behind the others and stand there as if he'd never left. No one seemed to realize he had wandered off, so Remus started back as well. He saw James pull Lily aside. She looked at him skeptically at first, but then smiled. The game was on. Remus felt like a balloon was inflating in his stomach forcing pressure up through his chest as the nervous anticipation gripped him the way it always did when the Marauders were up to no good. But he was usually in on the plan. Not knowing was an added thrill…and worry.

They started walking again. The thestrals were quite interesting creatures, but as only two of their party could actually see them, there wasn't much reason to linger. Remus noticed Peter was walking next to Lindi and Peter looked back and winked. Clearly, he had been brought in on the plan. Had he been assigned the responsibility of keeping her within reach? Remus' heart started to speed up. When was the diversion going to occur? What was he going to do if it actually worked? Was he going to whisk her away to a romantic rendezvous like some amorous thief in the night? Then what? This was _ridiculous_. It would _never_ work…would it?

Remus saw James make a jerking motion with his wand and there was a snapping sound and crunch of leaves in the darkness. Lindi's head snapped around. "Did you hear that?"

"It was probably just a squirrel," said Peter, and Remus saw Sirius make a stabbing motion towards the woods on the other side of them resulting in a rustling of underbrush.

"That was not a squirrel," gasped Leanna.

"You lot stay hear," said Sirius holding up his illuminated wand. "Prongs you go that way, I'll take this side."

"You can't go out there by yourselves," said Lindi. But they were already walking into the scrub around them. Lindi looked at Remus imploringly.

"They'll be fine. They won't go far," he said reassuringly.

And they didn't go far enough for Remus to lose the light of their wands. They returned after a couple of minutes.

"I didn't see anything," said James. "But I thought I heard someone sneaking off. I bet it was bloody Snivellus and his sorry lot." Lily shot James an aggravated look. She apparently hadn't been told they were blaming the diversion on the Slytherins.

"Why would they be out here?" asked Celia.

"They've probably been following us since we left the Three Broomsticks. Snivellus is always trying to get us in trouble. We better start heading back," said Sirius.

As soon as the girls' backs were turned to start moving again, Sirius and James held up their wands and with what seemed to be intense concentration, they each pointed their wand in the direction they had just come from the trees. Remus recognized the looks on their faces as the ones they always had when practicing their silent spellwork. When he saw something round flying towards them he knew he must be right. They must have summoned something. The next thing he knew there was a loud belching sound and then another. Suddenly, the wood around them was rapidly filling with thick green fog and Remus understood the diversion. Sirius and James had attacked them with their own McCloud's Pea Soup Fog Bombs.

It was time. Remus moved quickly towards Lindi as she disappeared into the green mist and utter chaos broke out. Before he could reach her, the fog had become so thick that the only thing he could see was a number of faint glows radiating from the illuminated wands of those closest to him. Girls were shrieking; branches were rustling and snapping. He could hear Mundungus cursing, and what sounded like someone falling into a bramble. Lily was shouting instructions to the others not to panic and definitely not to cast hexes into the fog. Even the voices were muffled by the thickness of the mist around them. Remus heard popping sounds that could have been hexes, but were probably simply Popping Pellets from Zonko's that were being used by James or Sirius to further the effect of an ambush. It seemed to be working, since each time one would go off, someone would gasp or shriek. Remus assumed James and Sirius would have directed the fog bombs towards the others and that they would have kept themselves outside the circle so that they could watch for anyone who might start to wander off. At least he hoped so. It would ruin the _adventure_ if someone managed to get lost inside the forbidden forest. Well, he realized it was a little late to start worrying about that now.

"No one run off by yourself. Make sure you have a partner. Remember, if we get separated, use the four-point spell and head west for the castle," called Lily.

"Keep an eye out for the slimy Slytherin gits!" Sirius barked for good measure.

With a surge of excitement, Remus stepped carefully towards the spot where he had last seen Lindi and Peter, his hand held in front of him so he wouldn't bump into anything or anyone. His fingers grazed what felt like hair.

"Who's there? Remus, is that you?" asked Peter.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Here, you better run."

Peter pushed Lindi into him and she gasped.

"Remus, what do we do?" Her voice was strained.

"Just stay with me; we'll get out of here."

"What if they're waiting for us?"

"Don't worry; I'll handle it," he said confidently. He was very confident, since there wasn't going to be anyone to handle. He reached out and felt around for her hand.

"Oi!" she gasped.

_Ooops, that isn't her hand_. "Sorry, Lindi. Give me your hand." Remus pulled her gently after him. He could hear the others searching for partners, and the sounds of feet shuffling through fallen leaves as they started making their way carefully through the fog. He needed to hurry if he was going to get away before the others had a chance to join them. He assumed James and Sirius would do something to keep everyone else distracted long enough for Lindi and him to make their escape.

Remus made his way through the heavy shroud. It was very slow going since he had to feel his way around the trees and undergrowth of the dense forest, but finally, the mist began to thin and he picked up his pace. He could vaguely hear the voices of his friends and the tiny explosions of the Popping Pellets fading behind him as he pulled Lindi away. When they were free of the fog, Remus broke into a run. He had very little time to waste if he wanted to slip away from the others, make it to the Crystal Cove, and be back in the castle before curfew. It was painful and he could feel the ache in his joints. He didn't know how long he could keep up this pace, but he had to get far enough away. Lindi kept up easily, and Remus was reminded of how physically fit she was. Oh how he wished he was healthy like that.

"Where are the others?" she asked, after they had run a short distance through the woods.

"Don't know; come on." He pulled her along even faster.

She resisted his pull and slowed down. "But what if they've been caught? We can't just leave them."

He looked over at her and could see the genuine fear and concern in her eyes. She'd never be able to enjoy the cove if she was worrying about her friends. He stopped running and turned to her. How was he going to tell her not to worry without making her angry?

"James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily will look after them," he said. "You don't want to go back, do you? You aren't going all _Gryffindorish_ on me, are you?"

"No, but _you're_ a Gryffindor. Isn't there some sort of chivalry code of conduct where you can't leave your mates in battle or something?"

Remus chuckled. He really liked her romanticized view of Gryffindors. He _didn't _like that she thought he was failing to live up to it, though.

"Why are you laughing?" She sounded frantic. He was going to have to tell her it wasn't a real attack. He had a feeling she wasn't going to appreciate it.

"There is no battle, Lindi," he said softly. She stared at him in confusion. "It was just James and Sirius pulling a prank."

"What?" she asked weakly. "A prank? This was their idea of a _prank_?" Her voice was growing shrill as the fear and confusion was replaced with annoyance. "They scared the crap out of us…_again_!" Suddenly, her eyes flashed and she pulled her hand free from his grasp. "You knew about this? And you didn't stop them?" There was a definite accusation in her tone.

_Of course I didn't stop them. They were doing it for me_. But he thought that was probably a really stupid thing to say. "I knew they were going to do something, but I didn't know what." He would have to remember to thank James for his deniability.

"Then how do you know this was it and not a real attack?"

"I saw them casting the spells."

"Why would they do this?" she asked.

"Well, they wanted to add a little excitement to the adventure," he said rather lamely. Why didn't he just tell her the truth?

"Excitement?" she said shaking her head in disbelief. "I wonder how exciting they would have thought it was if I'd dropped dead from a heart attack. Don't take this the wrong way, Remus, but I don't know about your friends sometimes. Lily's right, how _did_ you end up with them?"

Remus smiled and shrugged. Why did everyone think he was so nice and innocent? Just because he didn't get into as much trouble as James and Sirius did, didn't mean he didn't like a little mischief. Of course, the misconception _did _have its advantages. "They didn't mean anything by it Lindi; they were just trying to—have some fun. Don't be angry with them."

She shook her head again. "Well, now what?" she asked, looking around at the dark forest surrounding them. "How do we get out of here?"

"I know the way, but I want to take you someplace before we go back to the castle."

She looked apprehensive. "What, just the two of us?"

"Yeah," he said lightly. He saw her swallow and wondered what exactly she was nervous about.

"I don't know, do you think it's safe to be out here by ourselves…just the two of us…alone…with nobody else around?"

Remus didn't know if he should smile or frown. The look on her face was reminiscent of the look she'd had when they were alone in the broom cupboard that day she had fallen all over herself running away. He couldn't help being amused, but he didn't want her running away again. What was she afraid of? Was she worried he couldn't handle whatever they might come across in the woods…or was she afraid of being alone in the woods with _him_?

"Maybe we should go find the others so they can go with us," she said.

"We don't have time to find them, and still get back to the castle on time." _And I don't want anyone else with us_, he thought.

"Then hadn't we better just go back now?" she asked, her brow furrowed with worry. "We can come back another time with the others."

"We have enough time if we don't go looking for the others, and there's something I really want to show you--without them."

The wide-eyed panicked look on her face was priceless. Why was she so afraid to be alone with him? What on earth did she think he was going to show her, his naughty bits? A snort of laughter escaped before he could stop it.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing," he tried to stop grinning. He felt his face burn as he fought to shake the image that came to mind. He had been around Sirius and James _way_ too much. "So, are you going to go with me? It really is something to see."

"What kind of place is it?" she asked, hesitantly.

"You just need to see it, Lindi. Come on, let me show you."

She gave him a tentative nod and he reached out for her hand. They had lost some time and he hated that they would be so rushed to get back in time for the early curfew. So he picked up their pace to a jog, only slowing down to check their location and use the Four-Point spell to make sure he was going in the right direction. After a few minutes, he heard a dull roaring sound coming from what appeared to be a wall of solid rock. He stopped jogging and turned to her, smiling.

"What is that noise?" she asked, nervously.

"You'll see." He led her towards the wall as he held up his illuminated wand. The light reflected off the jagged stones until it passed over what was obviously a void in the solid wall. He walked towards it and the noise grew louder.

When they were standing directly in front of the black void, it became obvious that this was the entrance to a cave and the rush of sound was coming from deep within it. The air wafting from it was warm and humid and carried an exotic floral aroma. Lindi took a lung-filling breath and looked at him curiously.

"Are we going in there?" she asked. He nodded. "I don't know, Remus, it's awfully dark. What is making that noise? What's in there?"

Remus smiled at her. "Just come on. You're going to love it. Trust me."


	25. The Crystal Cove

**The Crystal Cove**

**Summary: _If Remus manages to get Lindi alone in a very romantic setting, will romance ensue?_**

_A/N: When reading this, keep in mind the time frame. Lindi was born in 1960. _

As Remus and Lindi entered the cave, the sound was almost deafening, and he had to shout to communicate with her. He led her through a narrow, winding passage that cut through the earth for a short time until he could see a faint glow ahead. Turning to her, he leaned down so he could talk into her ear.

"I'm going to extinguish my wand, Lindi, so your eyes can adjust to the light. I want you to get the full effect, alright?"

She reluctantly agreed, and he put out the light. For a moment, he was temporarily blinded. He knew Lindi would be also, and he felt her grip tighten on his hand. She pulled in close to him, clearly looking for his protection. He liked it. He really liked that she trusted him enough to go along with him when he knew she was frightened. He hoped she would always trust him and he tried to force aside the guilt threatening to worm its way into his mind again. He hadn't really felt guilty about snogging girls (the few he had) in the past without them knowing about his _problem_. Even his father had thought it was alright, but somehow, it tugged at his conscience now. Still, even though he could tell she liked him, there was no guarantee their relationship was going to progress to the point that she would need to know. He would definitely tell her if things worked out and before they went very far….

But for now, the excitement he felt when he looked into her expectant face, just visible in the pale glow coming from the end of the tunnel, was enough to push those thoughts aside. Only a fool would waste this place for use as a confessional.

He walked up to the opening, blocking her view while he glanced around to make sure they were actually alone. Then, he stepped through and turned to watch her reaction. The roaring noise softened and became the soothing sound of flowing water now that it wasn't being intensified by the tunnel which served as a giant megaphone. She leaned through the opening, glancing around, her eyes widening in wonder as her mouth fell open. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she took in the beauty of the Crystal Cove.

He grudgingly released her hand so she could walk to the edge of the glistening pool. She stared up at the water cascading over the wall from the blackness of the night above them. It sparkled like diamonds spilling from a velvet pouch as the glow of hundreds of saucer-sized luminescent blossoms shone upon it. The white blossom covered vines draped over the edges of the cove walls like flowered curtains, and glowing insects flitted from bloom to bloom, twinkling like tiny stars. Even the moss covering the rocks at the waters edge seemed to fluoresce in the silvery light. The shimmering effect gave the impression that everything had been carved from crystal or ice. Yet it was warm inside the cove, even though the autumn night was cool, for the water in the pool bubbled up from a hot spring deep in the cove floor and mixed with the cool water of the fall. James and Sirius had wanted to go skinny dipping when they discovered it, but they hadn't had time. Maybe someday he and Lindi might… _You do know how to dream, Remus._

She walked slowly around the small cove, reaching up to touch a blossom and breathe in its fragrance. Finally, she turned and looked at him. "What is this place?" she said, breathless.

"I'm not sure, but we call it the Crystal Cove."

"I can see why. What kind of flowers are these? They smell wonderful."

"I don't know. They must be really rare because I can't find them in our Herbology text. Of course, I haven't really had a chance to look in all the books in the library. I thought about asking Professor Bottanie, but then he'd know we'd been out here," Remus said, shrugging.

"So you just happened upon this one day while you were out of bounds, roaming around the forest?" she asked incredulously. He smiled and shrugged again. She shook her head in awe. "I can't believe you'd walk into a roaring tunnel in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. I'm so glad you did, but you might have come across something really dangerous. Aren't you lot afraid of anything?"

He kept smiling, though he was a little afraid of the way his heart was starting to pound when she smiled back at him. The desire must have shown in his eyes because she looked away, and he felt tension building in the air. _Okay, now what? _

First of all, he needed to do something about the nearly ten feet between them. He took a step towards her, but when she turned and looked at him, he was reminded of the last time he had made a move towards her when they were all alone. If she took a step away from him this time, she'd fall into the pool instead of just knocking over broomsticks and mops. He hesitated at the anxious look on her face. Maybe he should wait for her to come to him? Of course, he'd probably be waiting a while. He got the feeling from all he'd learned that Lindi wasn't apt to make the first move. He was afraid she was about to suggest they should head back now. _Come on, Remus, think; what would Sirius do? _No doubt Sirius would already have her pinned up against the rock wall by now, leaning over her… But Remus really didn't want to think about that. He wasn't Sirius and never would be. He would definitely come off as a smarmy git if he tried to be smooth like Sirius, and Lindi would probably just laugh. No, better to be himself….

"We've been exploring together since first year when we were too stupid to be scared. I guess we've just gotten used to it," he said. "Some would probably argue that we're still too stupid."

"Hmm," she sighed thoughtfully. "Reckless and even foolish sometimes, maybe, but I'm sure nobody thinks any of you are _stupid_. What other crazy things do you get up to? No…don't tell me. I don't want to know; it would only make me worry."

Oh, he liked the sound of that. Well, sort of. He didn't want her to be worried about him; but that she _cared_ enough to worry was good. She must have realized the implication as well, and looked around again, starting to fidget a bit awkwardly. Her foot slid on the bank and she threw her hands out to steady herself.

"Be careful, Lindi, the moss is very slippery," he said. "Why don't you come over here and sit down. I don't really feel like going swimming tonight." He took off his cloak and laid it on the ground then lowered himself on to it. It felt good to sit down after running and being on his feet so much. He was barely recovered from the full moon on Wednesday after all. But seeing her standing in the midst of the Crystal Cove made it worth it. He leaned back against the stone wall to enjoy the view.

She walked hesitantly towards him and sat down making sure to leave a good couple of feet between them. Was she trying to tell him something? If he didn't know better, he'd think she was trying to confuse the living daylights out of him. But he didn't think she really _wanted_ to confuse him, even though she was doing a good job of it. He was realizing more and more that maybe _Lindi_ was the one who was confused. He just didn't know exactly why. Was she confused about her feelings for him, or was she just unsure what to do about them? And what was _he_ supposed to do until she figured it out?

Being patient and trying not to force the relationship had worked pretty well so far. They had become much closer friends. But as far as Remus was concerned, they couldn't really get _that_ much closer unless they crossed the line to actually dating, more accurately, to the _physical perks_ of dating. He wanted to kiss her, dammit! He couldn't help it. He really didn't know how much longer he could wait patiently.

It occurred to him that she might be waiting for him to just make the move and have it over with. He remembered how nervous he had been before his first date and the anxiety over the first kiss. It had been such a relief just to have it over with. Maybe that's what she wanted. He watched her closely as she looked around at everything but him, her brow creased with tension. The silence was weighing awkwardly between them. He made up his mind. He was going to ask her out, and if she said yes, he was going to kiss her. He might as well, because even if she said no, it couldn't be _much _more painful than this frustration.

"Lindi…"

"Oh, I meant to…" She started at the same time.

"Sorry, go ahead," he said, partially relieved by the delay to his question and partially irritated that he would have to work up the courage all over again.

"I just remembered that I wanted to tell you what happened in Defense Against the Dark Arts yesterday. Adamson paid you a compliment," she said.

"Really?" Remus said a bit stunned. Professor Adamson was very frugal with praise. "Why?"

"Well, technically, he was trying to insult me, but it was really flattering to you," she smiled. Remus didn't smile; he had been under the impression that the Professor wasn't harassing Lindi any longer since Professor Dumbledore had intervened. She must have seen the frown on his face. "It wasn't anything bad really. Actually, it's rather funny. I hit him with a really good _Expelliarmus_." She beamed up at him. "He was so shocked that he said, 'Lupin must be better than I thought. I didn't think you were capable of learning Defensive spells. Perhaps he should think of teaching when he's finished school.' It was wonderful. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself saying that you were a thousand times better than him."

A sense of pride flooded over him. "That's great, Lindi. I told you you were getting better. You'll be ready for Auror training before you know it."

She snorted self-deprecatingly. "That's likely to happen. But it might not be completely impossible to get into _healer_ training," she said hopefully.

"You really want to do that don't you?" he asked, and she nodded wistfully.

"I have for a long time. It would have made Mum really happy."

"Is that why you want to do it…for your Mum?"

"That's not the only reason, but I'm sure Mum has something to do with it. She always talked about being a healer and I guess it sort of rubbed off. We used to daydream about starting a clinic together in some remote village somewhere."

Remus watched the look in her eyes soften as she was transported back to an obviously happy time.

"Mum liked the idea of someplace exotic, like the Brazilian Rainforest, but I couldn't imagine myself there. Too many…"

"Big snakes?" he said, grinning when she cringed.

"Yeah," she nodded. "She always rolled her eyes when I asked her if there was someplace in Ireland remote enough."

"Did your mum work at St Mungo's then?" he asked.

"What?" Lindi looked slightly confused. "No, Mum was a seamstress, Remus."

"But I thought--when you said she talked about being a healer…"

"Mum always _wanted_ to be a healer, but she never actually got the chance," she said slowly. "Not that she wasn't smart enough; it's just that she, er, had me instead." She looked at him pointedly as if she was waiting for some response. He didn't quite know what she was trying to say since he knew there were many healers who had children of their own. "Mum never finished school, Remus. She had me in November of what should have been her sixth year. She was really young," she added needlessly.

She told him this quietly, but without shame. She seemed to be watching him for some sort of response. He had a few questions, but he realized it was really none of his business. Still, he felt like she was waiting for him to say something.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Not that she had you of course, but that she didn't get to become a healer as well."

Lindi smiled. "Yeah, me too, she would have been a great healer. Mum was really smart and very gentle. She got Outstanding on three of the required O.W.L.s and Exceeds Expectations on the others, and that was when she was under a lot of stress, being pregnant and all. She hadn't even told Grandmother yet. I can't imagine the pressure she was under, what with my father leaving her on top of the stress of O.W.L.s. Mum was a Gryffindor; have I ever told you that?" She looked up at him, pride gleaming in her eyes.

"No," he said softly.

"She was. Mum was strong. I wish I could be more like her. I'm afraid I must have taken after my father."

"Why do you say that?" Remus asked. It made him very curious about her father, but mainly, he didn't like her putting herself down. "You're stronger than you think, Lindi."

She smiled sweetly. "Thanks, but I really wasn't fishing for compliments. I know I'm not nearly as brave as my mother was. I barely made it through O.W.L.s without having a breakdown, and that was under _normal _circumstances. I'd have been committed to the Janus Thickey Ward if I'd been under anymore pressure, much less what Mum endured." She looked at Remus and gave him a little smirk. "I know you are well aware that there are reasons why I'm not in Gryffindor. I'm just glad you don't hold it against me."

"Why on earth would I? Just because you aren't in Gryffindor doesn't mean you're weak. You don't hold it against me that I'm not in Ravenclaw, do you?"

"Well, no, but there's a difference. I could actually see you in Ravenclaw, but you can't say the same for me in Gryffindor, can you?"

No, he really couldn't see her in Gryffindor. That didn't mean she was a hopeless coward though. She laughed when he didn't answer, and he hoped he hadn't hurt her feelings. Since she was laughing, he felt that he probably hadn't.

"Well, it doesn't matter. My mum and dad were both in Ravenclaw. I could see Dad in Gryffindor, but probably not Mum. Although in some ways, she's the strongest person I know," he said.

"Really?" Lindi smiled. "I like your mum; she seems very nice."

"She said the same thing about you," Remus said. That seemed to please Lindi. Of course, he wouldn't mention that his mum also said Lindi had a very _lusty_ look about her, or that she called Lindi a fifteen year old vixen.

"What's your father like?" Lindi asked.

"Well, Mum says I'm just like him, so I guess he's a bit like me. Of course, I don't know if that's always a good thing since she usually says it when I've done something to upset her," Remus smirked playfully. "But I consider it a great compliment."

"What do you do to upset your mum, Remus?" Lindi asked with a teasing tone.

Remus couldn't really think of anything in particular at the moment. He didn't do many things that upset his mum to be perfectly honest. The last time she had been upset with him it had been over his er, possible sex life. There was no way he was going to tell Lindi that; especially when it had been centered on Lindi herself. Besides, that surely didn't indicate a similarity with his father. Lindi watched him with raised eyebrows. Finally, he thought of something safe.

"Well, I once used her bathtub as a grindylow tank. She didn't think that was a very good idea."

"Oh my, is that the kind of thing your father might do?"

"He _has_ brought home some fairly interesting things, but he always tells Mum where they are so she isn't startled. My mistake was letting her go to run a bath with no forewarning, but I learned my lesson."

"Good," Lindi chuckled. "You get along well with your parents, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You're very lucky, you know?"

"Yes, I know." Remus knew what an understatement _lucky_ was. Under the circumstances, he considered himself the luckiest man alive for having parents like his. He knew some parents abandoned their children to the werewolf colonies once they had been bitten, either out of fear or unwillingness to endure the _shame_ of having an infected, less than perfect child.

"Mum and I had that," Lindi said quietly. "Of course, we had our little rows like all families, but we got on very well. I've always thought I was lucky for that. I know some people who don't like their parents at all and I feel really sorry for them. Of course, I don't think I'd like my father very much, but at least I had a good relationship with Mum."

"Do you mind if I ask where your father is?" he asked gently. He didn't like to pry and this whole topic was rather sensitive.

"Good question," she said with forced lightness. "I have no idea. Apparently he wasn't ready to be a father, so he left." She paused, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound bitter…but he hurt Mum."

"You don't need to apologize," Remus said. He wanted to ask her questions, but didn't know what was out of bounds. He wondered if this might be a clue into Lindi's reluctance towards relationships with men. A hurt and bitter mother would probably have influenced her. He suddenly thought he might be able to be a little more patient with her, even though the urge to grab her and kiss her soundly was so powerful he thought he might explode. Fortunately, she turned her warm sad eyes away and stared at the water.

"I take it he wasn't in her year?" he asked. That seemed like a relatively safe question and helped to tear his focus away from the incredible desire to kiss her, for a moment anyway.

"No, he was older than she was. I really don't know that much about him to be honest. She didn't talk about him much. I just know that she met him over Christmas Holiday, and they started writing to each other, and she saw him on a couple of Hogsmeade visits…" Lindi turned and looked Remus in the eye. "Don't think badly of her. She was very young and apparently he was very handsome and charming and … she thought he loved her." Her eyes had gotten watery.

"I don't think badly of her, Lindi," he said. "From what you've said, she sounds like a wonderful person."

Lindi smiled and sniffled. "She was; she just had lousy luck with men. Grandmother said they were cursed."

Remus was almost afraid to ask. "Did she have lousy luck with men, too?" he asked cautiously.

Lindi nodded. "Yeah, actually, she did. My grandfather was killed when Mum was a little girl—in a wizard's duel of all things."

"Are you serious?" he said surprised. Duels happened fairly frequently, but people didn't usually duel to the death anymore. "What happened?"

"According to Mum, it was over Grandmother, some bloke she had dated before Grandfather. It's really kind of bizarre, but grandmother _was_ very beautiful," Lindi shrugged. "I suppose it's not unheard of for something like that to happen, you know, someone becoming obsessed with someone they can't have. It's just strange to think of it happening to someone you know."

Remus had to agree, but he thought if Lindi's grandmother was as beautiful as Lindi, he could see someone being obsessed with her. Sometimes, when he couldn't concentrate on his studies, he thought _he_ was obsessed. Of course, he would never duel someone to the death over it…well, not unless he was the husband….

"Did he get sent to Azkaban?" asked Remus.

"You know, I'm not sure. Grandmother wouldn't talk about it. She was very paranoid about the whole thing, started thinking she was cursed and all. I think that's why we moved around so much, like we were running. She could be a bit irrational at times," Lindi said. "Well, from what I remember, and Mum always said she was."

Remus fought the smile he felt curling on his lips. This wasn't a funny situation, but it was rather amusing to hear Lindi say someone else could be a bit irrational. He couldn't help but think maybe Lindi took after her grandmother more than her father…beautiful, a bit irrational…. Then, a rather unpleasant thought crept through his mind. She thought her grandmother was _paranoid_ about their family's lousy luck with men. But if Remus was right about Lindi, and she _did_ like him, maybe there was something to this _curse_. You couldn't exactly say falling for a man who turns out to be a werewolf was good luck. The familiar weight of guilt settled in his stomach yet again.

He must have been gazing at her intently, for she blushed and looked down, pulling her knees up and hugging them protectively. "Goodness, Remus, you must think I come from a lot of nutters. I can't believe I told you all that. I don't normally hang the family laundry out like this."

"Don't be embarrassed; I don't think that at all."

"How did we get on this subject in the first place?" she asked.

"We were talking about you having the chance to be a healer after you disarmed Professor Adamson."

"Right, and it will be all thanks to you," she said smiling at him warmly. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Remus."

He felt a flood of warmth wash over him, and his heart began to pound. The way she was looking at him… their eyes locked on one another. He didn't even have to think about it. His hand reached up and smoothed a strand of hair out of her face, gently grazing the side of her cheek. Her breath caught, but she didn't pull away, and he started to lean slowly towards her. He was actually going to do it this time. He could hardly breathe. The look in her eyes was so full of…_trepidation_? Remus froze. That wasn't right. He might expect her to look _nervous_, but in a more _happy_ way, like she was anticipating something _good_. Not like she was afraid the world was going to come to an end.

He leaned back a bit and pulled his hand away from her face. "Is something wrong, Lindi?" he asked quietly, knowing that something _was_ wrong.

She looked away and finally breathed again. "No, I…" she didn't finish.

He waited several awkward moments. _Arghh, why couldn't this be easy?_ He wished he could try his Legilimency out on her, so he might know what she wanted or expected from him. Of course, that was out of the question. _Blast it!_

"Lindi," he said, deciding to just bite the bullet. He couldn't stand this any longer. He took a deep breath. "I really like you." He paused as she looked up anxiously.

"I like you too, Remus," she said in a very small voice. "You have turned out to be one of my best friends."

_Ugh!_ There was that word. "Friends?" he asked dully.

She nodded slowly. "I wouldn't have believed it a few months ago, but now you really are. I really like spending time with you. I even look forward to Dueling Club, because of you. Look at what you've done for me. I reallydon't know what I'd do without you." Her cheeks were magenta. Was that what she thought of him? Could her feelings just be gratitude? He just didn't believe that was all there was. "Don't you think we're good friends?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, of course I do, but…"

"I couldn't stand it if anything messed that up," she said quickly. "I wouldn't do anything that might cost me friends."

"What would mess it up?" he asked. He thought he might be cottoning on. "Does this have anything to do with Darlene?"

"Well, I don't think Darlene likes that we are friends so much," she said awkwardly. "She really wanted to go out with you, but I think she's getting over it. She's just a very proud person and you…well, you embarrassed her."

"That was never my intention," he said. "Had I known how things were going to end up, well, I never would have…"

"I know. At first I thought you were a bit of a…" she paused and looked apologetic, "but after I started Dueling Club, I realized that Darlene was probably exaggerating things a bit. I don't think it's your fault, but that's what happens sometimes when you get romantically involved. One person realizes they don't really like the other so much, or they like someone else better, and then things get awkward and…you aren't _friends_ anymore."

_Ding ding ding_…bells went off in his head. Maybe this wasn't just about not going out with him because he had snogged her friend. Could Lindi possibly think that he would snog her and then decide he didn't really like _her_? It was absurd, but Lindi _was_ a bit irrational. And after what he had learned about her mother and father…_Crap_!

"Well, Darlene and I were never really friends, Lindi. We were more like _acquaintances_." _And obviously not nearly well acquainted enough!_ "I don't think we'd ever be what you would call good friends, even if we hadn't, er, been romantically involved."

"But if you _had_ been friends, wouldn't it bother you that you weren't friends anymore? You would have ruined it just for a chance to, you know, _snog_."

Remus thought for a moment. How was he going to word this so he didn't come off as an uncaring, randy cad? He couldn't just say 'I didn't know if I liked Darlene or not. It didn't matter since I just wanted to snog her so I wouldn't have to think about O.W.L.s for a while. But I want to snog _you_ because I _do_ know you. And I know I really like you.' Just thinking about it made him sound like an uncaring randy cad. He certainly hoped he could think of something better to say.

"If Darlene and I had been _friends_, we would have known each other well enough to realize that we didn't want to be involved with each other—er--romantically. If we had known each other better and then decided that we wanted to, we might still be dating now." _Assuming she didn't mind my 'furry little problem', which Darlene obviously would have._

"Yes, but you might _not_, and then you would have lost a friend for nothing but a bit of..." she waved her hand as a way of finishing her thought rather than saying it.

_Gahh!_ Remus was getting very frustrated here. He had been patient and allowed their friendship to flourish, and now he was going to miss the opportunity to date her because she liked him _too_ much? Remus was a logical person. He knew Lindi was very intelligent but sometimes illogical. It didn't bother him. He actually found her irrationality cute most of the time, but this wasn't one of those times. This was just stupid! He wanted to grab hold and shake her, tell her he was going to kiss her soundly and that she was going to like it, and they were going to be more than friends and be happy together, for a while anyway. Of course, he didn't do any of that.

"So you only want to snog people you don't really like?" he asked as inoffensively as he could.

"Well, no, of course not," she stammered. "But friends aren't easy to come by, and I don't think it's a good idea to risk them just because you might have the urge to, well, you know..." she stopped and waved her hand again.

"But sometimes when you really like someone, you can't help it. It's just a natural progression and you can't stop it…especially if both friends feel it," he said softly.

She stared at the water churning under the fall, her eyes getting a little misty. She didn't have a response. Remus knew he had won the argument, and that she knew it too. But he also knew he wasn't going to be snogging Lindi right now. And he could live with that. He didn't like it, but he felt sure that it was only a matter of time, because for them, it was the natural progression. It was just progressing _really_ slowly. They'd come so close so many times already, that one of these days _soon_, he felt sure that she'd realize it was senseless to keep fighting it, just as he had. But if it made her feel better to tell herself (and Darlene) that they were _just friends_ a while longer, he could _probably_ handle it. Still, his patience was being stretched to the breaking point, and he stuffed his hands deep into his robe pockets to be on the safe side.

His hand brushed the small package he had forgotten was there, and he wrapped his fingers around it. He was thankful he had remembered it. This was just what he needed to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them. He didn't want their time at the cove to end on such a sour note.

"Oh, I brought you something," he said handing the tiny parcel to her. "Some of Mum's chocolate."

Lindi smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Remus," she said timorously. He got the feeling she wasn't thanking him for the chocolate, but rather for letting the argument go. She slowly took the wrapped candy from him. "I thought Lily would have eaten it all."

"Well, Lily can be rather scary when it comes to these, but she knew they were for you so she mustered some self control."

Lindi untied the package and looked down at the contents. Her smile was replaced with a look of uncertainty.

"They don't look like much, but they really are rather spectacular when you eat them," he said encouragingly.

"What are they?" she asked, looking down at the little chocolate pellets in her hand.

"Mum calls them chocolate blossoms, but they are really just seeds until you put them in your mouth. When they get wet, they bloom. It's really quite nice, a wonderful bit of charm work. Only, you can't see it. Mum hadn't really thought of that, but it feels, er, very nice," he started to tell her what Sirius called them, but didn't want to embarrass her. He would just let her experience the sensation for herself. "Just be careful. The first time is a little strange. Peter nearly choked on his."

She looked at him as if he were a bit barmy. "Here, you go first and let me see," she said offering him a seed.

He felt a little embarrassed with her staring at him as he hung his mouth open so she could watch him eat, but he popped the little chocolate in his mouth and watched her eyes pop, and she started smiling. It really was a shame that you couldn't witness the charm work of the flowers blossoming in your own mouth. These were definitely treats to be shared. When the chocolate had bloomed and then melted over his tongue, he shut his mouth again and swallowed.

"How wonderful," she cried.

"It tastes really good, too," he assured her. "Try one."

Lindi placed a seed on her tongue. Remus could tell by her reaction that she enjoyed the feel of the flower petals lightly brushing the inside of her cheeks and tongue. She let out a small groan of pleasure and he found himself very turned on. He knew the candy had a slightly _erotic_ effect. His mum hadn't meant to create something quite so _tantalizing_, but there was no getting around the fact that they not only tasted fabulous, but felt good too. From the flush on Lindi's cheeks, she had noticed.

"Oooh, wow, that's so, really…" she sighed, and took another.

"Yeah, they're really good," he smiled as she closed her eyes and let out another little groan. He thought she better stop doing that or he wasn't going to be able to control himself any longer.

"_Ummm_," she swallowed. "And your mum invented these?"

"Yes, though it was a bit of a happy accident, I think. I don't think she realized they would be quite so er…" he didn't quite know how to say it. "Well, sometimes she threatens to never make them again when Sirius teases her about them."

"I'm afraid to ask," she said, but he could tell she was terribly curious.

"He says they feel like French kisses." Remus saw Lindi's blush intensify, but she grinned bashfully. "The last time he was at my house, she made some for us, and he told her he was going to tell everyone that she gave him the best French kisses he'd ever had."

"What did she do?"

"She turned almost as red as you and chased him out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon," Remus smiled at Lindi as she giggled sweetly going even redder.

"He is awful! Tell him to leave your poor mum alone. It would be awful if she stopped making them. I don't suppose she gives out the recipe?" she asked hopefully. "I'd love to learn how to make them."

"She would," he said. "But they're very complicated. She tried writing it down for Lily once, but it didn't work. She'd really have to show you." Then, before he could stop himself, "She always makes a huge batch for Christmas. I could ask her to wait until term is over and you could take the train home with me. You could stay a couple of days and help her. I'm sure she'd love the help." _Crikey, Remus, what have you done?_ He couldn't believe he had just invited Lindi to go home with him…without asking his parents first. What was he thinking? He knew then that Lindi Dellington had truly made him insane.

From the look on Lindi's face, she could hardly believe it either.

"What, me come to your house—overnight—over Christmas Holiday--with you?"

"Yeah, why not?" he said, deciding the damage had been done. Of course, there were a number of reasons, not the least of which was his mum would probably throw a nutter when she found out he had invited the _fifteen year old vixen_ to their home. Of course Lindi would be sixteen by then, as if that would make it better. Not to mention that if he was wrong about their relationship progressing, Lindi would be going to the ball the night before with some other bloke and Remus would probably be in no mood to spend all day on the train with her while thinking about that. But it was too late to worry about that now.

"Well, I don't know," she said uncomfortably. "Don't you think your parents might not like it, you inviting someone home to--to spend the night?"

"No, they don't mind if I invite _friends_ to visit" he said, feeling rather Machiavellian. He wasn't sure what to make of the look on her face, but it made him feel good somehow.

"But Christmas time is sort of for family, they might not want an intruder," she said.

"I know they wouldn't consider one of my _friends_ an intruder," he said, enjoying the chance to use her insistence that they were just friends against her. He did have a bit of a devious streak after all. "Besides, there's a chance that James and Sirius will be spending a few days with us too. It would be like a party. Mum and Dad would love it. We don't get a lot of visitors way out there and the more _friends_ the merrier." He just hoped Mum and Dad would at least _allow_ it.

"James and _Sirius_?" she asked. Maybe he shouldn't have told her that part. There did seem to be a slight tension between Lindi and Sirius. But if she and Remus were getting along well, he thought Sirius would probably get along with her too. Then he thought about having to tell his friends that Lindi wouldn't go out with him because they were too good of friends. Sirius was probably going to go berserk and call her a tease again. Remus wondered if there was anyway to avoid telling them… "Remus…" Lindi jarred him back from his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, they might come if James' parents go out of town. Mr and Mrs Potter may be taking a cruise and don't want James and Sirius at their house alone. I don't know why, but they don't seem to trust them on their own," he said jokingly.

"I can't imagine why," she agreed. "Has Lily been to your house to make them?"

"No, but she's always said she wanted to learn. I should invite her as well," he said. He knew Lindi would be more comfortable with another girl. His mum and dad probably would be too. "So, do you think you might like to?"

He could see in her eyes that she would. "I don't know, Remus, it sounds like fun, but Rosmerta was expecting me to work over the holiday. But it does sound like fun. I might be…"

A whispering voice made them both jump. "_Remus_!"

He looked around but no one was there. "Remus, can you hear me?"

It was coming from his pocket. He pulled the small mirror out and saw Lily and Peter squeezed together looking frantically out of it. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Where are you? Are you still at the cove?" hissed Peter incredulously.

"You have to get back to the castle, Remus," said Lily urgently. "McGonagall is looking for you."

"It's past curfew, Moony," said Peter.

"Why is McGonagall looking for me?" he asked, feeling something akin to panic.

"Snivellus started…" said Peter, but Lily cut him off.

"No time to explain. You just need to get back in the castle, _now_!" she said. "I don't know how you'll manage it without getting caught. They'll be watching the main entrance. I'll try to leave a broomstick in the Owlery for you. You can summon it and maybe get in through a window somewhere. Just hurry!"

"Where are James and Sirius?"

"Remus, just hurry and be careful! We'll explain when we see you!" Lily vanished from the mirror.

Remus and Lindi scrambled to get up and he threw on his cloak, stuffing the mirror in his pocket. They rushed out through the tunnel and broke into a run. How had time gotten away from him? (As if he didn't know.) He wondered how this would impact his relationship with Lindi. She looked slightly hysterical. Detention wasn't exactly the way he would have chosen to end their first real social outing. He just hoped they got to serve it together….

_A/N: Ducks thrown objects! No snogging! Now before you think I'm just toying with you, there is a reason. Actually, I just discovered that I can't write kissing, so there won't be any. Kidding! Well, I probably can't write kissing...but that isn't why there wasn't any here. Plus, you learned some information, whether you wanted to or not. Hey, the anticipation is the best part…isn't it? _


	26. Thanks to the Slytherins

**Chapter 26: Thanks to the Slytherins**

**Summary**:_ **It has been quite a day, and now, to top it all off,** **Remus and Lindi have broken curfew and seem destined for detention. What else will they experience on their little adventure before the day is over?**_

_A/N: As I stated in an author's note in an earlier chapter, with the information from HBP, my timeline is a little off. Just keep in mind that in my story, Lord Voldemort's rise is only just now becoming well known. The terror hasn't reached the point were people fear his very name. Thanks._

The crunching of dried leaves shattered the stillness of the night. Remus was no longer worried about attracting the attention of the forest dwelling creatures now that he and Lindi were in sight of the forest's edge, and they would waste no more time by treading cautiously. They needed to get back to the castle. The outline of Hagrid's hut was silhouetted against the many lighted windows of the castle now visible in the distance.

Remus put out his wand light and motioned for Lindi to do the same so they wouldn't be spotted in the darkness. He slowed his pace and made a quick assessment of their location in relation to the Owlery tower to determine the safest route for them to take. They would run along the perimeter of the forest, keeping in its shadows. Then they could make a dash across the open ground to the Herbology greenhouses which would provide cover from anyone who might be looking out the castle windows. He wondered if Lily and Peter had been able to sneak a broomstick up to the Owlery for them. If so, would it be of any use to them? What were the chances of finding an open window this late in October? He didn't think they were very good. He tried to think of another way inside.

_What about the Astronomy Tower? _No, that wouldn't work. Mr. Filch still had the trap door secured. For some time, the caretaker had been trying to convince Professor Dumbledore that the tower was being ill-used by some of the students who were having parties there, and leaving butterbeer bottles and litter lying about. But at the beginning of this year, when a third year Ravenclaw named Delburn Warfeld had overdosed on Billiwig stings he had brought back from holiday in Australia, the Headmaster had instructed Professor Flitwick to place a powerful locking charm on the trap door. That stopped the idiots from being in such a dangerous place when they were giddy with the effects of the stings. Now, if they were stupid enough to use them, at least they wouldn't be on top of the highest point in the castle when they started levitating. Delburn had drifted off of the tower and into the top of a yew at the edge of the forest, only narrowly missing the Whomping Willow. Now only those with legitimate Astronomy homework could gain access to the tower.

Sirius had been livid. The Astronomy Tower had always been one of his favorite date spots, so he could take girls star gazing. They seemed to find it romantic that Sirius was named after the brightest star in the sky, althoughhe liked to joke that _it_ was named after _him_. So when Delburn had finally returned from the hospital wing, Sirius had engorged a Billiwig sting until it was three inches wide, and had threatened the boy with it, telling him where he was going to stick it if Delburn didn't stop being an ignorant git. Remus hoped the threat would work or the boy might find himself permanently damaged. The prat could already barely keep himself on the ground.

But regardless of the reason, the Astronomy Tower was now no help to Remus and Lindi. So, what next? The Owlery was no use, as the openings in it were just high enough for a large owl to fly through, but not a grown witch or wizard on broomstick. No, someone was going to have to open a window for them.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Remus swung his arm over and stopped Lindi from continuing out onto the open grounds. They were behind Hagrid's hut, but no lights were visible in the windows so it was probably safe to hide here for a moment.

"Hold on, Lindi," he gasped, clutching at a stitch in his side. He wondered briefly if he would even be able to get out of bed tomorrow. He explained his plan to her and then pulled James' mirror from his pocket. He didn't dare call into it in case Lily and Peter weren't alone. Instead, he touched his wand to the face and said, "_Vibrato._" Nothing happened. He tried again, but the only face in the mirror was his. "Crap!"

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Lindi's voice quivered.

"Probably."

"What do you think will happen to us?"

Remus looked into her worried face. He didn't really want to think about what their punishment might be. He had been caught out of his house after hours with the Marauders once before. Professor McGonagall had taken twenty points from Gryffindor for each of them and given them all a detention. Of course, that was just for being in the castle corridors after hours. It had also been before the stricter rules had been implemented due to the rising dangers from this Lord Voldemort that Remus had been reading about in the _Prophet_. It seemed that Voldemort and a group of his supporters who called themselves the Death Eaters were behind most of the trouble that had been going on over the past few years, and things were rapidly getting worse. Remus thought it was likely that the Death Eaters were at least suspected of being behind the break-in at Dervish and Banges, which would explain why the students' curfew had been moved up. If these Death Eaters weren't stopped soon, Professor Dumbledore would probably stop letting the students leave the castle, much less the school grounds.

Then Remus considered some of the things he'd read, and a shiver ran up his spine. If Lord Voldemort and his supporters were really as bad as they sounded, it was very likely that there would be a lot more damage than having a Hogsmeade visit cut short before everything was said and done.

But there was nothing Remus could do about that now. All he could do was try to prevent him and Lindi from losing fifty points and getting a week's worth of detentions. She was looking at him anxiously.

"If we get caught, I'm sure we'll lose points," he said causing Lindi to grimace. "And we'll probably get detention."

Lindi groaned miserably.

"You've never had detention, have you?" he asked sympathetically.

"No, have you?"

"I've had a few. It's an occupational hazard of being a Marauder."

Lindi smiled, but her heart wasn't in it.

"I'm sorry, Lindi. I didn't mean to get you into trouble," he said earnestly.

"It isn't your fault, Remus. It's not as if you put me under the Imperious Curse and forced me to stay out against my will. I wanted to," she said resolutely. She smiled sincerely then and seemed a bit calmer.

_Ugh!_ He really didn't want her to get into trouble! "Well, we haven't been caught yet. Let's get going. I'll try to get in touch with someone when we get to the greenhouses."

He slipped the mirror back into his pocket, and they started to walk quietly around the edge of Hagrid's garden. Suddenly the stillness was disturbed by a pandemonium of barking coming from the hut beside them, causing them to freeze in their tracks. The heavy oak door was being jarred by the massive dog Hagrid kept as a pet. Apparently part bloodhound and something enormous, the dog was so large, Remus sometimes thought it might have been engorged. It even made Padfoot seem only average-sized. And it had obviously heard or smelled them and was trying to get through the door.

"Come on, Lindi," he said, instinctively grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. They hurried past three rows of the largest cabbages Remus had ever seen, past a patch of giant pumpkins, and were just clearing a plot of thistleberry bushes when a booming voice echoed across the grounds.

"Vlad, will yeh shut yer trap!" cried Hagrid. "I'm comin', yeh great mutt!"

The barking ceased at once.

The gamekeeper was walking along the path from the castle, a lantern swinging at his side. He was only several yards from the front of the hut when Remus realized with a shock that Hagrid would have a clear view of him and Lindi as soon as he rounded the bend to the front steps.

"Get down, Lindi," Remus hissed quietly and pulled her to the ground between two thistleberry bushes. Remus felt thorns snagging at his robes and pricking his face and hands. The rustling of the bushes must have aroused the dog again. It started howling from inside the hut. Hagrid paused as he reached the front steps and looked in their direction. Remus didn't dare move even enough to glance Lindi's way, but he could sense that she was holding her breath.

"Quiet down, Vlad. It's only a rabbit er somethin'," Hagrid said finally as he reached for the door handle.

Just as Hagrid started to open the door, an owl hooted loudly from somewhere in the trees behind them. Lindi gasped, jumping into Remus and knocking him off balance. The two of them fell headfirst into the thistleberry bushes.

"Who's there? Show yer self!" bellowed Hagrid, holding up the lantern to light the garden. He only just grabbed the great dog's collar as it lunged for the open door, growling loudly.

But Remus couldn't move. He and Lindi were tangled in the thorny shrubs. Lindi seemed to have frozen as if she thought Hagrid might lose interest if they stayed still long enough.

"Don' make me send Vlad in there after yeh. Yeh won' like it," threatened Hagrid.

"Come on, Lindi. It's no use," Remus urged quietly.

"It's Remus Lupin, Hagrid, from Gryffindor," he called. He untangled himself from the shrubs and helped Lindi to her feet.

"Blimey, Lupin, what are yeh doin' out here? Who's that with yeh?"

"Lindi Dellington," Remus answered.

"Hello, Hagrid," she said in a small voice.

"Alrigh' there, Lindi?" called Hagrid. "Wait a minute. What are the two a yeh doin out here? Don' yeh know it's past yer curfew?" Hagrid rounded on Remus. "Do yeh know they're lookin for yeh up at the castle, Lupin?"

"Do you know why they're looking for me?" asked Remus eagerly.

"I jus know that some of the Slytherins told Professor McGonagall that they didn' think yeh were in the castle. I figured they were jus' tryin ter stir up trouble for yer house after that row with Potter and Black, but look at yeh! They were right!" Hagrid looked disapprovingly at Remus.

"James and Sirius had a row with the Slytherins tonight?" Remus asked. How had they managed an argument when they couldn't have been in the castle but a few minutes themselves?

"Tha's not unusual is it? But what are _yeh_ thinkin, bein' out after hours and yeh a Gryffindor Prefect? What have yeh been up to?" He held the lantern up so that it shone on Remus and then on Lindi.

"Nothing, we were just talking and I lost track of the time," said Remus. He glanced at Lindi.

In the dim light from the lantern, he could see that she was completely disheveled. Her hair was a rather alluring, tangled mess complete with a few leaves. Her robes were askew and had dirt and leaves on them, as well. He thought he probably looked about the same and could imagine what it looked like they had been _up to, _when Hagrid smirked skeptically, raising one bushy eyebrow.

"Well, the nex' time yeh want ter _talk_ with yer young lady, yeh need ter find someplace in the castle ter do it. In my day, they used ter _talk _in the broom cupboards."

Remus was thankful for the dim light. He felt sure his blush was rivaling Lindi's at the moment.

"Honestly, Hagrid, we were just talking," she insisted, the mortification evident in her voice.

"Well, yeh shouldn' be out of the castle at any rate. It's too dangerous these days. Not to mention, now yeh're in a load of trouble, thanks ter that Slytherin lot. They'll be thrilled tha' yeh're goin' ter lose loads of points fer Gryffindor, Lupin. Yeh gave em jus what they want. Ruddy bunch of snitches," Hagrid seemed to be working himself into something of a rant as his voice started to rise. "Just like…well, they just can' keep their noses out o' other people's business. Always thinkin' they know it all. Just wantin' ter get yeh in trouble because yer a Gryffindor, an' yeh've let em do it."

Hagrid had clenched his long fingers into an enormous fist. Remus got the impression that Hagrid might have had a row with a Slytherin or two himself. It gave Remus an idea. He knew he shouldn't have been caught out of bounds, but he really didn't want Lindi to suffer for it. Hagrid knew the Hogwarts grounds as well as anyone, as far as Remus could tell.

"I really didn't mean to break curfew, Hagrid," he said honestly. "It's all my fault for losing track of time. I know the Slytherins just want to get _me_ into trouble, but now Lindi is going to get punished as well. I don't want that. I don't suppose you know a way into the castle that she might be able to use that no one would notice--that you could take her to?"

"What about you?" asked Lindi sharply.

"I'm not going to ask Hagrid to break the rules to keep me out of trouble. I _should_ have been more careful. But you shouldn't have to suffer because of my carelessness or because of our feud with the Slytherins. It has nothing to do with you," Remus told her.

"You didn't hold a wand to my head, Remus," she said. "I already told you, I'm in this mess of my own free will. I can tell time as well as you can, you know."

"But the only reason they are even looking for us is the Slytherin's dislike for me. Otherwise, we probably would have been able to slip back into the castle before anyone noticed we were missing," Remus argued.

"That is beside the point," snapped Lindi. "I am every bit as guilty as you. If you get detention, I should too." She winced slightly at the thought but continued undeterred. "I don't think I could sleep tonight if I let you take all the blame. Besides, what excuse would you give for being out all by yourself?"

Remus stared down into Lindi's determined face. Merlin she was gorgeous when she was being stubborn.

There was a loud tisking sound and Hagrid mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like young love. "C'mon yeh, two," he said. "Let's get yeh _both _back into the castle where yeh belong."

Remus' heart sank, but when he saw Lindi's resigned face he felt slightly better. He really hoped they would get to serve their detentions together. Of course, when Professor McGonagall caught them in their current states of disarray, Remus was sure she would probably think it unwise to leave them alone for five minutes. She would probably jump to the same conclusion as Hagrid.

"Well, c'mon. We don' have all night," said Hagrid gruffly.

"But Hagrid, the castle is that way," said Lindi pointing towards the castle with its many lighted windows twinkling invitingly. But Hagrid had moved toward the back of his house. He stopped, turning to look at them.

"Right. But yeh don' want ter go traipsin' up the front steps, do yeh?"

Remus and Lindi looked at each other in stunned silence. Was Hagrid going to help them? He looked down at them seriously and gave his shaggy head a shake.

"I shouldn' be doin' this—and if I ever catch either one of yeh out o' the castle after hours again, I'll drag yeh into the Headmaster's office me self. Yeh understand me?" he barked, wagging an enormous finger at Remus. "I expect more out o yeh, Lupin, yeh bein a prefect an' all. But we all make mistakes and I know yeh are alrigh' or Professor Dumbledore wouldn' a made yeh a prefect in the firs' place. And I know Professor McGonagall is right fond of yeh. I don' think she'd be too happy with either one of us fer this, though." Hagrid scratched his scruffy chin as if reconsidering what he was about to do. "But she don' like takin' points from Gryffindor, even if yeh do deserve it. Especially when it's those ruddy Slytherins stirrin' up trouble."

He led them around the back of his hut and to a small hill with a door at its center. Pulling a giant key ring from one of his coat pockets, Hagrid unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a root cellar. He told them to look for a concealed door at the back of the dark chamber and to follow the tunnel there. It would take them back to the castle.

"I don' know exactly where it will lead yeh, but I think it takes yeh to the dungeons. I don' use it 'cause I'm too big ter fit through it."

"I really appreciate this, Hagrid," said Remus.

"Well, just remember what I told yeh. And I don' want ter catch those friends o' yers tryin' ter sneak out of school through here. I know what you lot are like, so I'll tell yeh now that as soon as I know yeh're through, I'm sealin' it shut."

Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw Lindi trying not to grin.

"Now yeh better get goin' er yeh'll be in trouble anyway."

Remus lit his wand, took a step down into the cellar, and waited for Lindi to follow. She threw her arms around Hagrid's massive waist as she started to pass him. "Thank you, Hagrid," she said, greatly relieved. Hagrid looked taken aback and patted her awkwardly on the back making her grunt aloud with the pressure of his powerful touch.

"Go on, now," he said, ushering her forward.

They walked between shelves that had been built into the stone walls. They were lined with baskets laden with potatoes, onions, and turnips. At the back, just as Hagrid had told them, there was a barely visible outline to an opening. Remus probably wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't known to look for it.

"_Dissendium_," he said, tapping the wall with his wand. A heavy stone door swung open revealing a dark tunnel running steeply downhill before them. The musty smell of moist earth filled his nostrils, and he was reminded of the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. But the smell here was even more pungent, as though it hadn't been exposed to fresh air in many years. There were darkened holes puncturing the sides of the tunnel that looked like the burrows of small rodents, and some not so small.

He stepped inside and turned to Lindi. The panic was etched into her face.

"I don't think I can do this, Remus," she whimpered. "I think I might like to try my luck with detention after all."

He smiled sympathetically. "Come on, Lindi. You can do this. It's just another part of the adventure. It's a chance to see that you really are strong, like your mum."

"That's rather a low blow, Remus," she smirked.

"Did it work?"

She pulled herself up bravely, swallowed and gave a tentative jerk of her head. "_Lumos_," her voice cracked as she raised her lighted wand. Remus took that as a yes and smiled.

They stepped carefully down and followed the sloping tunnel deep into the earth as the air became cooler and heavier still. Remus wouldn't have thought it possible, but this passage was even more eerie than the one to the Shrieking Shack. Of course, he realized his feelings about that one were highly biased by the things he associated with it. But this tunnel had an uncomfortable feel to it, even without those negative associations. There were dark, gnarled roots snaking through the jagged walls. As they passed under the roughly hewn ceiling, clumps of moist earth and rock kept falling, spattering ominously in the silence. More than once, they had to squeeze past a boulder that had fallen, blocking their path. Remus' head scraped an exposed root and a shower of dirt fell, peppering his hair and robes.

"Come on, Lindi," he said, trying to hide the urgency in his voice. He wanted to get out of this tunnel.

Finally, the path started to rise, until at long last they reached the end. _Thank goodness!_ Now if they could just get through the passage and into the castle without being caught. Remus held his wand up to check himself, shaking the dirt off of his cloak. It was a mess, so he took it off, as did Lindi. They would look suspicious wearing their heavy cloaks indoors anyway. The cold, damp air of the tunnel suddenly went very warm when she reached up and dusted the dirt lightly from his hair. Gooseflesh erupted on his arms when she combed her fingers gently through it, straightening it back out of his eyes. Oh how he wished she'd do that for reasons other than just to groom him. His heart literally ached when she leaned in closely and ran her finger tips over his face, brushing away as much of the smudged earth as she could. He found it hard to breath with her so close. She really better stop doing that or he wouldn't be held responsible for _messing up their friendship_.

She must have realized it and pulled her hand away slowly. Yes, Remus felt confident that things were going to progress fairly soon. He actually thought that if he kissed her this very moment, she would kiss him right back, _friends_ or not. Unfortunately, they really needed to get into the castle immediately. He thought it would probably be worth a month of detentions, but he didn't want that shadow hanging over their first kiss, not when he didn't think he'd have to wait much longer anyway.

"We better get going," he said barely managing a whisper. She nodded in agreement. He took his wand and tapped the wall in front of them. "_Dissendium_."

A large slab of stone slid silently to the side, revealing what appeared to be the back side of a frame. Remus listened for a moment for a sign of movement on the other side and heard nothing. He pushed on the frame, but it didn't budge. He took his wand and tapped the back of the frame, trying _Dissendium_ again, but still nothing happened. "_Alohomora_," he said. Again, nothing. He tried another door opening spell even though this wasn't technically a door. But the only movement came from the sparks flying out of his wand. "_Aperio… Exitus… Amoveo Obstructo_," he said tapping the frame with each incantation. Still nothing….

"I can't believe we made it this far and now we can't get through," said Lindi. She tried a couple of spells that had no more success than Remus'. Then she waved her wand and said, "_Abracadabra_ you stupid thing!" and she pounded her fist on the frame.

"What is that?" laughed Remus. "Did you say abracadabra?"

Lindi explained that it was a word Muggles apparently made up when they pretended to do magic.

"Yes, I've read it before, in Muggle children's books. My grandmother was a Muggle. How do you know it?" he asked her, momentarily forgetting the problem at hand.

She told him about a Muggle friend of her Aunt who lived in Australia. "Miss Bert was married to a wizard and they lived in the village near Aunt Ronnie's house," she said fondly. "She was a retired Muggle school teacher. She taught literature and had the most wonderful library."

He really wished they could just forget about the stupid frame and stay here forever, talking and…but they couldn't, so he shook the thought off and turned back to the task at hand.

"Open _sesame_," he said, dramatically waving his wand. "What, you didn't read about that one?" he teased when she gave him a funny look. "It's another Muggle incantation, and obviously it doesn't work any better for us than it would for them."

Lindi giggled.

They tried a number of other spells, tapping, poking, and waving their wands at the apparently immovable frame. Perhaps someone had sealed it. Remus felt his frustration returning. This really wasn't very funny anymore. He really didn't want to have to go back through the tunnel.

Remus prodded the frame with his wand. "Open!" he said exasperatedly.

"Will you stop poking me please?" hissed a whispered voice. "The coast wasn't clear."

The frame swung out into a dimly lit corridor. They were clearly in the dungeons somewhere. From the look of the paintings, most being still life images of fruits, vegetables, or wines, they were near the kitchens. Remus stepped out through the opening and helped Lindi through. When the frame swung back over the secret passage, a rotund man holding a frothing tankard glared at them in annoyance.

"You realize that it defeats the purpose of having a secret passage if you come barreling out of it in front of other people, don't you? Next time, have a little patience, will you?" the man in the portrait said irritably. "No one has been through here in years and I finally get something to do, and now I'm going to be black and blue from you jabbing me with your bloody wand." The man made a point of rubbing his back.

"We're sorry, we didn't realize there was anyone guarding the opening," Remus said. "Do you know which way to the main floor?" The man waved them to the right and they thanked him and wished him goodnight.

Remus and Lindi made their way briskly up the corridor and found the staircase. He wanted to put some distance between them and that passageway, just in case. When they reached the ground floor, Lindi looked at him with great relief and graced him with one of her gleaming smiles.

"We did it. I can't believe it. That was really…_exciting_," she said.

"Don't tell me you enjoyed it?" he said. He knew she was feeling the rush that came with a narrow escape. How many nights had he felt that surge of adrenaline when the Marauders had barely slipped through a professor's snare? He knew it could be a rather intoxicating sensation.

"Well, not at the time, but now that it's over…"

They rounded a corner and nearly collided with none other than Professor McGonagall. She took one sharp look at them and pursed her lips severely. Maybe it wasn't quite over.

"Where on earth have the two of you been?" she asked.

Now that they were in a well lighted corridor, Remus wished they had taken more care in tidying themselves up.

"We were just exploring Professor," Remus answered evasively.

"Exploring what, Lupin, a dung bog?" Professor McGonagall said, her nose wrinkling as she took in the state of his trousers. Remus looked down and noticed the brown stains at his knees. Hagrid must have fertilized his garden recently.

"Er, we were out on the grounds earlier and had a little accident in Hagrid's vegetable patch," said Remus offering just enough of the truth to answer the question.

"An accident, _earlier_?" the Professor said sharply. "Miss Dellington, perhaps you'd care to tell me what happened." Professor McGonagall rested her beady gaze on Lindi whose eyes widened in panic.

"Oh, er—well, we were hiding from Hagrid—er—Hagrid's _dog_ I mean," she sputtered. "He started barking at us and I—er—I knocked Remus over and…"

"Why was Hagrid's dog barking at you, what were you doing in Hagrid's garden?"

"Erm, well, we were out walking," said Lindi guiltily. She looked at Remus for help and he realized with a bit of concern that Lindi was an absolutely dreadful liar. "And then we, er, we…noticed the lovely pumpkins…yes, have you ever seen them? They're enormous. I don't know how Hagrid does it. Do you suppose he uses some spec…"

"Miss Dellington," Professor McGonagall interrupted irritably. "When was this?"

Lindi blinked. "Erm, I'm not exactly sure of the precise time, Professor. I didn't check my watch or anything…"

"An approximation will do," snapped McGonagall.

"Well, it was earlier,_ before_ curfew," Lindi said a little too certainly, while she conspicuously refused to look at the professor.

Yes, Lindi was definitely a bad liar. The only thing that could have made it more apparent would have been forgetting to remove the truth charms from their game. Still, Lindi's hair didn't need to turn green for it to be obvious that she was lying.

Professor McGonagall cocked an eyebrow and glared at Remus. "Well, that is certainly a _relief," _she said sarcastically. "Because I had a report that you were out of the castle _after_ curfew. Why do you suppose that is?"

"I wouldn't like to say without knowing who reported it, Professor," said Remus carefully.

"It was Mr Avery and Mr Snape of Slytherin house," she said. "Why would they say you were out of bounds, Mr Lupin?"

"I'd say they were probably hoping to cause Gryffindor to lose points by getting me into trouble," Remus said steadily. It was much easier for Remus to use the truth to mislead someone than to blatantly lie. He knew Professor McGonagall was too smart to be fooled by it, but it was worth a shot. She seemed to be spooling herself up for a response and Remus figured they were about to get landed in detention for quite some time.

"I do not doubt for one minute that that was indeed their intention. Fortunately for you and for Gryffindor, you were not _caught_ out of bounds, Lupin. I would have been _very_ unhappy if you had been," she said pointedly. "In fact, if I ever catch you out of bounds like that, you will serve a month of the most odious detentions I can assign, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor," he said.

Remus couldn't believe she was going to let them get away with it. Maybe his friends were right; they always teased him that he was McGonagall's favorite. Still, it had never stopped her from giving him detention before. Letting him off this time probably had something to do with the way the Slytherins were involved. Professor McGonagall was generally a stickler for the rules, but she didn't like pettiness or vindictiveness. What the Slytherins had done would have seemed both, no doubt. Besides, there really wasn't any proof that they had been out of bounds.

"Now I suggest you both go to your dormitories and get cleaned up. If Mr Filch catches you tracking that filth in the corridors he'll want permission to flay you. Come to think of it, twenty points from each of your houses for being a disgrace."

Remus figured Professor McGonagall would have felt the need to give them some punishment. He knew it was only fair and tried not to show his gratitude. Professor McGonagall turned to Lindi once more.

"And Miss Dellington, if you have been in this state since _earlier_ in the day, I suggest you get those thistleberry worms out of your hair before they build nests and lay eggs."

Lindi shrieked and started shaking her head frantically. "Getem off! Getem off, Remus!" she cried, slapping her hands through her hair. Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes in exasperation, the corners of her mouth twitching as she walked away.

Remus bit his lip, but couldn't help grinning at Lindi and their great fortune as he vanished the worms from the floor and calmed her down. They had actually gotten away with it. As an added bonus, he got to run his fingers through Lindi's hair. It didn't matter that it was just to make sure no worms were burrowing in. The little tremor that went through her when his fingers grazed the nape of her neck and the way it made her blush thrilled him. Having a group of second years watching and giggling as they were on their way out of the Great Hall didn't embarrass or annoy him at all. On the contrary, he rather liked it, just as he had enjoyed knowing Hagrid thought they were together as more than friends. Maybe if enough people believed it, Lindi would, too. They talked lightly as he walked her to the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

Standing together outside the door, it felt so much like the end of a date, a really interesting date, that it seemed natural for him to kiss her good night. But after their conversation at the cove, he was very hesitant to attempt it. Still, she kept standing there instead of going inside…maybe things had progressed more quickly than he dared hope. Why wasn't she going inside? She looked rather conflicted. The powerful temptation to grab her and kiss her erupted inside him again (as if it had ever left him). But it was a Saturday evening and people kept passing in and out of the hallway. Lindi looked around awkwardly each time the door swung open or footsteps came down the corridor behind them. Remus felt great annoyance when a couple paused only feet away to say their goodnights. When the two started kissing, Lindi looked more uncomfortable than ever and would hardly look at him.

But before she could make a hasty retreat into Ravenclaw tower, Peeves, the poltergeist, appeared through the ceiling above them.

"Oh look at the lurvy durvy boys and girls. Better stop, before Peeves hurls!" he said. He started making rude gagging sounds and throwing what Remus hoped was only leftover bits of food.

The kissing couple broke apart, the boy swearing loudly at Peeves who only got louder and ruder. Finally, the seventh year pulled his wand and started shouting, "_Waddiwasi_!" and the bits of food started flying back off the floor to pummel the poltergeist. With the distraction, Lindi finally turned to Remus.

"I had a lot of fun, Remus," she said.

"It _was_ fun," he agreed. They stared at each other for another moment until Peeves blew a very loud raspberry and zoomed over their heads and through the wall.

"Well, I better go," Lindi said hastily. "I'll see you in class I guess…and at Dueling Club practice…and the masquerade. You are going aren't you?"

"Of course," he said.

"Good, well, goodnight then," she said, and went through the door.

Remus turned slowly away as a smile formed on his lips. He knew it was just a matter of time.


	27. A Shadow of Doubt

**Chapter 27 A Shadow of Doubt**

**Summary: _Remus makes it back to the dorm after an eventful Saturday to find his friends waiting for him. What have they been up to and how will they react to what Remus has to say? _**

Remus climbed the last of the stairs and turned down the corridor to Gryffindor tower. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, and flooded with adrenaline, he would have been slowed by the throbbing ache in his tired legs. As it was, he might as well have floated up to the seventh floor for all the notice he had taken of how he got there. He was far too busy mentally replaying everything that had happened—and almost happened—that day to be distracted by anything as mundane as sore muscles or the curious glances he had received over his filthy trousers and tousled hair.

_His tousled hair_…he could almost feel Lindi's fingers still running through it.

"Corona Borealis." The portrait swung open. "Thank you," he said distractedly and climbed through to the Common Room.

He only made it a few feet into the room when he saw Lily's head whip around towards him. She was on her feet in a flash.

"What happened?" she asked in an urgent whisper. "Did you and Lindi get caught?"

"No," he said, still slightly amazed that they hadn't been. "I'm sure Professor McGonagall knows we were out of bounds, but we made it inside before anyone actually caught us, so she didn't press it."

"That's great!" said Lily.

"She _did_ take twenty points for being _a disgrace,_ though." He smiled meekly as he indicated his appearance.

"Well, you _are_ a mess, Remus," Lily laughed. "What on earth happened?" She motioned for him to follow her out of the middle of the entrance so they wouldn't be overheard.

He told her the basics about running into Hagrid and how they had managed to get inside through the tunnel.

"Hagrid is so cool," Lily said fondly. "You should have seen him pick Evan Rosier up by the front of his robes to break up the duel your idiot friends got into tonight. And Rosier is not exactly small."

"What was that all about?" asked Remus eagerly, but before Lily could elaborate, Peter stuck his head through the entrance to the boys' dorm and called across the room.

"Oy, Remus, Sirius and James said to get your arse up to the room!"

Lily smirked. "Idiots," she mumbled. "You might as well go on; they'll be wanting to know all about your, er, _adventure_. I need to get up to the Owlery and get Celia's broomstick back before curfew anyway. Just tell me this; did you have a good time?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Yeah," he said unable to stop himself grinning like a love sick berk. He knew from the enormously pleased smile on Lily's face that she thought more had happened than actually had. He didn't want to mislead her. He started to tell her it wasn't what she thought, but Peter called to him again.

"Hurry up, Moony!"

"Oh, go on before the prats come and drag you away. But I want to hear all about it—well, not _everything_," she said, grinning playfully and he felt his cheeks coloring. Lily chuckled.

"Lily," he started, but she went on.

"Look at you blushing. Lindi is such a lucky girl." She made a contented sigh and turned to leave the room before he could clear up the misconception.

He glanced at Peter standing in the doorway. The eager expression on his face caused Remus to almost dread what was coming. No doubt his friends were going to want to know what had happened with Lindi as well. They would very likely give him a bit of a hard time when they found out that _nothing_ had happened. He climbed the spiral staircase not even making an attempt to keep up with Peter who had practically sprinted on ahead. Remus considered the option of letting them make the wrong assumptions just as Lily had. He could just refuse to say _anything_ and let them think whatever they wanted.

Of course, he wouldn't do that; it wouldn't be fair to Lindi. As the door to his room came into view, he considered that they might not even ask, which would be the mature and respectful thing. H_ave you been taking Billiwig stings?_

"It's about time," said Sirius as soon as Remus reached the door. He and James were resting on cushions on the floor at the foot of Sirius' bed, the map spread out in front of them along with a quill, bottle of ink and their wands.

"I ran into Lily. So, you're not in detention I see," said Remus as he walked across the room, threw his cloak down on the foot of his bed, and sat down heavily on the edge of it.

"Nah, starts tomorrow," said James laying down his quill.

"So what happened?" Remus asked as he started to unlace his shoes.

"We were about to ask you the same thing," said James, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "What in the name of Merlin were the two of you up to, Moony? You're a mess."

Peter leaned forward on his bed, avidly awaiting Remus' answer and sniggering at the insinuation in James' voice.

"It isn't what you think," said Remus.

"I really hope it _is_," said James brightly. "Something good better have come of our trouble. We have detention all day tomorrow with that git, Filch. There's no telling what rubbish he'll have us doing."

"Well, how did you end up in a row with the Slytherins?" asked Remus.

"You're changing the subject, Moony," said Peter. "We want to know what happened with Lindi. You were out there an awful long time. And why _are_ you such a mess?"

Remus proceeded to tell them how he and Lindi had managed to get back into the castle. He offered much more detail than he had given Lily in hopes that they would be distracted from asking about the cove.

"So, that's why you have dirt ground into your knees? I thought maybe she had you on them begging," James joked. Peter sniggered again.

"I rather hoped she was having him do something else," said Sirius, grinning wickedly. He really could be crude when he wanted to be, even without actually saying anything. His innuendo was alright, even fun sometimes. But Remus didn't really care for it when it was directed at him and Lindi. Peter on the other hand was practically tittering with glee.

"Well?" Peter's eyes sparked with anticipation.

"Well, what?" asked Remus, though he knew full well _what_.

"What was it like?" The awed look on Peter's face reminded Remus of their conversation months before, when they had thought Sirius was going to pull Lindi during the bet. Peter had admitted that he couldn't even _imagine_ being with a girl like her. Remus knew Peter's image of him had gone up a notch (or a few) since Lindi had started showing some interest in him. Peter always seemed to enjoy living vicariously through his friends. However, this was the first time Remus had been the one providing Peter the opportunity. It was a rather strange feeling. Of course, Peter was about to be sorely disappointed.

"What was what like?" Remus said evasively. He found that he didn't want to admit anything. Something in the way Sirius was looking at him…

"Don't play dim, Remus," said James. "You don't have to give details…"

"I _want_ details," Peter interrupted.

"You don't actually expect them though, do you?" said James. He looked back at Remus and smiled hopefully. "Just tell us if it was worth the wait."

For a split second, Remus considered saying yes. After all, _it _could be spending time alone getting to know her better, which he had wanted to do for a while. And he _had _done, and it had been very nice, especially if you factored out the intense frustration. But he couldn't pretend that he didn't know what James meant.

"I don't know; I'm still waiting," Remus said awkwardly. James and Peter's faces fell.

"What?" gasped James. "You didn't…after she was…you at least _kissed_ her, right?" Remus shook his head slowly. "Don't take this the wrong way, Remus, but what the _hell_ is wrong with you? What are you waiting for, mate?"

Remus shrugged slightly, not really knowing how to respond and hoping the subject would miraculously drop.

"She shot you down," said Sirius quietly. "After practically throwing herself at you all day, she shot you down."

"It wasn't like that," said Remus.

"Did you try anything?" Sirius asked bluntly.

Technically, Remus had _started_ to make a move on Lindi; he had almost kissed her. But if he admitted that, it would make things seem worse than they were. Actually, he felt that if he had followed through on the attempt to kiss her, she would have let him. She hadn't tried to stop him. She had just looked _horrified_. How could he explain _that_ without telling them things he really didn't want to say? Lindi had told him very personal things and he wasn't going to repeat them, even to his friends. "We talked and I realized it wasn't the right time," he said simply.

"Not the right time? What _are_ you waiting for? How much more _right_ could it have been?" asked Sirius. "Is this about Wilkins?"

"Not really," Remus said. Did he dare tell them she was afraid of ruining her friendshipwith_ him _more than herfriendship with Darlene? Probably not…even Remus had been upset by that. "She's just nervous; she isn't ready for that yet."

"You are not serious! She's a sixth year, Moony, not some second or third year. She may not be ready to have sex with you, but for the love of Merlin," Sirius said disgustedly.

"Look, I understand why she feels the way she does," said Remus.

"Then please explain it, because it sounds like a steaming load of dragon dung to me," said Sirius.

"It isn't my place to explain it, but she has her reasons and I respect them. I'm alright with the way things stand," Remus said.

Sirius snorted, but otherwise made no response. He exchanged a brief glance with James and shook his head. James seemed to be trying to keep a neutral stance. He was probably a bit more understanding considering his long running pursuit of Lily. Remus was tempted to take the opportunity to let the conversation die and go get a shower since it appeared that Sirius might not go berserk after all. Still, it was obvious that he didn't particularly approve of the way Remus' evening had turned out. Not that it was any of Sirius' business, but Remus hated for things to be uncomfortable between him and one of his friends. As much as he hated confrontation, he almost preferred Sirius' angry outbursts to the times when he would clam up and brood. At least when he was ranting, you knew what he was thinking and it was easier to rectify the problem.

"Go ahead and say what's on your mind, Sirius," Remus said.

"Nothing," Sirius said calmly, but with an air that indicated there was definitely something. He sat for a moment, his jaw clenched firmly and making little huffing noises now and then. Remus watched him. Sirius wasn't able to stay quiet for very long. "If you don't mind that she's playing you for a fool, why should it bother me? I'm not the one she's yanking around on a leash. She has you just where she wants you and she knows it. I just can't believe you're willing to let her get away with teasing you like that!"

"That's what you thought when we saw her on the map with Daniels. You don't really know her, Sirius," Remus said earnestly.

Sirius snorted again. "I saw what I saw _today_ with my own two eyes, in living color," he said doggedly. "And I can tell you, she's either stringing you along for some reason or she's bloody frigid. Either way, mate, you'd be well rid of her."

An intense desire to tell Sirius to shut his trap welled up inside Remus, but he managed to squelch it. After all, Sirius was one of his best friends and from where he, Sirius, stood, things probably _didn't_ look very good. Remus felt sure Sirius was only trying to help him. The only way for his friends to really understand would be for Remus to tell them about Lindi's past and all she had revealed of her feelings. That wasn't really an option. Remus wouldn't betray her confidence. His friends would just have to trust his judgment.

"Like I said, you don't know her. We had a good time, so can you trust that I know what I'm doing?" Remus asked wearily.

Sirius gave him a discerning look. "Fine, it's your life," he said, indicating that while he might be relenting, he was far from convinced.

Remus would take it. After all, it was only a matter of time before things worked out and proved Sirius wrong. He was sure of it.

"So, what happened with the Slytherins?" Remus asked, happy to change the subject.

"Bloody Snivellus, Rosier, and Avery," said Peter. "That's what happened."

"They were on the front terrace when we were coming into the Castle," said James. "We got in just before curfew and Snivellus seized on the fact that you weren't with us. Got him all agitated."

"I think he might fancy you, Moony," Sirius said. "You better watch your back."

"All right, that's just…can we move on please," Remus urged. But he was glad that Sirius was obviously moving past their disagreement.

"He wanted to know where you were. We told him to mind his own business, but he kept insisting that you were outside and wanted to know who you were with, what you were up to," said James.

"So we finally told him you were with his mother, showing her what a _real_ man was like," said Sirius.

"You didn't!" gasped Remus.

"Yeah, we did. Sorry, mate," said James brightly. "But it is rather revolting." James pulled a face and Peter gave a disgusted groan.

"He didn't like the idea anymore than you do," said Peter.

"Of course he didn't; you don't insult someone's mother," Remus said exasperated.

"Serves her right for giving birth to such a foul piece of rubbish," said Sirius.

"I suppose that's what started the duel?" asked Remus.

"Yeah," said Peter. "Snivellus hit James with that curse he used during O.W.L. week. Remember, the one that cut James' face?"

"I remember. What is that curse?" asked Remus.

"Dunno, I have to hand it to old Snivelly; he has silent casting down pretty well," said Peter.

"When you mess around with the kinds of curses he's into, you have to do them silently," said Sirius darkly. "Someone might turn it around on him and slit his throat with it."

"He cut James' wand arm pretty badly," said Peter. "Madam Pomfrey just about went ballistic. We could hear her talking to McGonagall and Slughorn even with her office door closed. She said she'd seen a lot of hexes since coming to Hogwarts, but never such dark magic used by students before."

"Maybe they'll finally realize what an evil git Snape is and expel the bastard!" said James angrily. He was suddenly far less amused by the row with Severus.

They told Remus more details about the duel and how they, James and Sirius, had fended off Severus, Julian Avery and Evan Rosier while sending Lily and Peter to inform Remus of the trouble. Things had gotten quite out of hand until Hagrid had stepped in followed quickly by Professor McGonagall, and they had all lost a hundred points each.

"Which means Slytherin lost _three_ hundred as opposed to Gryffindor's two," said James with satisfaction. Remus sighed.

"And we convinced McGonagall to let us do our detention all day tomorrow as opposed to every night this week," said Sirius. "Otherwise, we would have missed the masquerade."

"Good thing it happened before you turned in your reports," Peter grinned.

After a few moments speculation on what Mr. Filch might have them doing for detention, they had Remus plot the secret passage to Hagrid's root cellar.

"We have the castle entrance, since we were watching for you and saw you appear out of nowhere," explained Sirius.

"Well, we can plot it, but I don't plan to use it again. I don't think it is stable," said Remus as he lowered himself stiffly to the floor. "Anyway, Hagrid said he was going to seal it so we wouldn't use it to sneak out of the castle."

"I don't think he trusts us," said James, with mocked surprise.

Remus ignored him. He took a quick glance toward the Ravenclaw section of the map and found the single dot in what he knew was the girls' bathroom. Lindi was there. She would be washing away the remnants of their adventure, something he needed to do. He found himself wondering if she showered or bathed. He thought about her standing beneath jets of warm water as it splashed over her; imagined the water running down over her smooth skin…he was suddenly aware of how warm the fire had become, and how in need of a shower _he_ was.

He dipped the quill into the ink and added the tunnel to the map, informed the others of the presence of the portrait guarding the castle opening, and left them to charm the newly added portion. He gathered clean robes and made his way to the Prefect's bathroom. Remus normally used the Gryffindor boys' bath, but he was in the mood for a long quiet soak. It would do his aching body some good and give him the chance to revisit the more pleasant events of his day in peace. After the dispute with Sirius, it would help him sleep if he reminded himself of the fun he and Lindi had had.

The next day, Remus convinced Peter to accompany him to the library since James and Sirius would be in detention all day. Their timing could not have been more perfect. Just as they rounded the corner, Lindi and Leanna approached from Ravenclaw tower. Lindi had her broomstick tucked under her arm as she fastened her cloak, clearly prepared for a flight.

"Don't be too long," Leanna was saying. "I want to work on my costume when we're finished with this."

"I won't be," answered Lindi. "It looks like it's going to rain anyway. I just need to clear my head."

She glanced up from donning her cloak and caught sight of Remus and Peter coming towards them. She smiled warmly. The butterflies that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in Remus' stomach unfurled their wings.

They all exchanged pleasantries for a moment. To his delight, Remus found that Leanna was on her way to the Library as well, and Lindi was going to be meeting her after her flight.

"Maybe I'll see you if you're still there when I get back," Lindi said.

"We should be there for a while," said Remus. "I have quite a bit of work. I should have done some of it yesterday. I hadn't expected to be out all day."

"Me neither," said Lindi. The apples of her cheeks tinged and she smiled bashfully.

Leanna glanced from Remus to Lindi looking slightly suspicious. "If you are going to go fly, you better get a move on. Or don't you need to clear your head anymore?" she asked smirking. Lindi's color deepened.

"Yeah, I think I better," Lindi muttered. "I'll see you lot later." She turned and walked towards the Main Hall looking pensive.

Sitting in the Library, Remus opened the book he had retrieved on potions ingredients and searched for something that would be useful in a resolve-strengthening potion. He'd been working on it for nearly two weeks and was still stumped. He really disliked Potions and was almost ready to enlist Lily's help again if he couldn't figure it out by the end of the day.

Then he remembered that Lindi was coming back after her flight. Lindi was good at potions. Maybe _she_ would be willing to help him. He looked over to the table where Leanna was pouring over a long role of parchment.

"She won't be finished with her flight yet, Moony," said Peter. He had a tiny knowing grin playing on his mouth.

"I know, I was just…" Remus felt himself flush. "I was just looking around," he finished, feeling foolish. He knew he had lost all pretense of being discreet in his desire for Lindi.

"Right," Peter said grinning wider. "So what _really_ happened at the cove?"

"Just what I told you last night, Peter," Remus said steadfastly.

Peter looked disappointed. "I just thought for cert the two of you were going to get together. I hope she isn't…" Peter hesitated, "never mind."

"Hope she isn't what, Peter?" asked Remus quietly.

"Nothing, I don't want you to get upset."

"I'm not going to get upset," Remus assured him, though he knew he wasn't going to like whatever Peter didn't want to tell him.

"Well, you promise you won't say anything? Because Sirius will get really brassed off if he knows I said anything."

"What did Sirius say?"

"Promise you won't say anything," Peter insisted. "Because he'll know I'm the one who told you."

"What do you think he'd do to you, Peter? He isn't going to curse you for telling me something," Remus said grimly.

Peter didn't look convinced, and Remus considered that maybe he was wrong. Sirius _might _actually hex him. He thought about telling Peter to keep Sirius' confidence, but Remus hated secrets. He'd had too many in his life, and he would have too many more. He had a feeling he knew what Sirius had said anyway. It couldn't have been _much_ more than Sirius had said to Remus' face.

"I won't say anything," Remus vowed.

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise," Remus said, becoming impatient.

"Well, he's afraid she's just…first, James and I think she really likes you, and we told him so," Peter said firmly, clearly determined to soften the blow. "And he agrees that she likes you or she wouldn't be…you know…"

"Keeping me on a leash?" Remus finished the sentence.

"Well, yeah."

"Come on, Peter, spit it out. Sirius said all of this to my face," Remus said.

"Well, he thinks maybe she—er—might be doing it because she—fancies someone else," Peter said delicately. "He thinks she might be waiting to see if it works out; then if it does, she still has you as a friend." He looked up warily, as if he expected Remus to explode.

Remus simply stared at him for a moment. It wasn't as if Remus hadn't considered the possibility. He had wondered about it when he saw her talking with other men, and he had been curious when she received Owl post and looked particularly pleased. Lindi didn't receive post often, but there had been a couple of times he'd noticed and wondered who might be writing to her.

"Who does he think she might fancy?" Remus asked calmly.

"Nobody really, except…" Peter hesitated once more.

"Who, Peter?"

"I don't want you to get mad at Sirius, Remus. He's just looking out for you, you know?"

"I'm not _mad _at him. I think he's wrong, but I understand his concerns. Who does he think she fancies?" Remus repeated.

"Well, she did get awfully flustered when Malfoy kissed her hand," Peter said timidly.

"Sirius thinks Lindi fancies Lucius Malfoy?" Remus asked incredulously. "After the way he treated her at the Three Broomsticks over the summer?"

"That's what James and I told him," said Peter swiftly.

"And what did he say to that?"

"Nothing, you came back from the bathroom," Peter said, looking embarrassed. "You aren't going to say anything, right?"

"I told you I wouldn't, Peter," said Remus. "It wouldn't serve a purpose, anyway. Sirius is convinced she's only toying with me, and nothing I'm free to say will change that. I just want to drop it, all right?" Remus pushed back from the table and started to rise.

"All right," said Peter. "Where are you going?"

"To get another book," Remus said. The truth was, he just wanted to be alone for a moment and try to clear his mind. Hmmm….wasn't that what Lindi was doing? Was she out there flying around trying to sort out her feelings for him, or deciding between him and another man?

He walked to a window near the back of the Library. From his fourth floor vantage point, Remus could see the top few rows of the Quidditch Pitch stands, and Lindi darting in and out of view. She really was a brilliant flyer, and not just a little reckless. It was such a contrast to the way she seemed to live the rest of her life. He thought he understood why she loved it, the freedom she must feel.

Suddenly, she was soaring over the rim of the pitch and speeding across the grounds towards the castle, a wall of rain closing in on her. He watched impressed when she landed at a run, barely breaking her stride to swing the broom out from under her. She dashed up the stairs to the castle entrance and vanished from his view.

Soon, back at the table with Peter and another potions book, Remus watched Lindi walk briskly into the library and look around. A few of his butterflies took flight when her glance passed over Leanna and continued around the room until it came to rest on him and she smiled, walking towards him.

"Hi," she whispered. Remus smiled in reply. "What are you working on there, Peter?"

"Just finishing up my masquerade report," he said.

"Oh really, who are you going as?" she asked.

"Can't say, it's top secret," said Peter, grinning.

"Okay," she said, chuckling and turned her attention to Remus. "What are you doing, Remus?"

"That Potions paper Professor Slughorn assigned for this week, I'm afraid it's giving me a bit of a headache," Remus said.

"What part is giving you trouble?" she asked.

"The potion," he said flatly, and she chuckled.

"I'm sorry, that isn't funny. If you'd like, I might be able to help you with it, after Leanna and I are finished," she offered.

He felt the smile fighting to break on his face. "If you have time and don't mind, I could use some help. I didn't want to have to bother Lily again."

"Well, I'm not as good as Lily, but I can try. If you don't figure it out before, I'll come over when Leanna and I finish."

"All right," he said steadily, though his insides were cheering.

He watched her walk over to Leanna and noticed Peter do the same. After a moment, Peter turned back and shook his head with a very you-lucky-bastard look on his face. Thirty-five minutes later, Peter left them as they began pouring over the potions books. Lindi helped Remus select several possible ingredients to use and suggested they go to the potions classroom to try them out.

"The only way to know if it works is to make it and test it," she said brightly.

They made their way down to the dungeons. All the while he kept thinking about trying to make a very complicated potion with the girl of his dreams looking over his shoulder and witnessing his utter incompetence. He really hoped he wouldn't blow them up.

"You can't be _that_ bad, Remus," she said when he warned her. "You must have done well enough on your O.W.L. or Professor Slughorn wouldn't let you in the class."

"Honestly, Lindi, I barely scraped by with the required score and it was a fluke that I did as well as I did," he assured her. "I did fairly well on the written and for the practical, I managed to get assigned a potion that I have been helping, or _watching_ my mum make for years. It was pure luck, although now I'm not so sure it was really lucky."

"Well, you can't be any worse at Potions than I am at Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said encouragingly.

He nearly laughed. Somehow, that wasn't very reassuring, but he wouldn't tell _her_ that. _Maybe it isn't _completely_ hopeless; she _is_ improving._

When they arrived at the Potions classroom, the door was slightly ajar and the echo of voices could be heard from within. Remus was highly disappointed to find it already occupied, but they were here to _work,_ so he pushed the door open and stood back to let Lindi enter.

"Oy, look who it is," said a cheerful male voice.

"Alright, Lindi?" said another husky voice.

"Hello, Evan," she said as Remus followed her into the room. She started to address the others, but Severus Snape sneered.

"What are you doing here, Lupin? Shouldn't you be in detention?"

This was not what Remus was hoping for. Severus, Evan Rosier, Julian Avery and two first or second year Slytherins that Remus didn't know were at the front of the room. From the looks of things, Evan and Julian were serving detention by bottling a slimy black liquid. There hands were stained. Severus seemed to be overseeing the potion making of the two younger boys. Was that _his _detention? Remus couldn't help but think it was more punishment for the boys than for Severus. Maybe they'd gotten themselves put in detention as well.

"No, I haven't been assigned detention," Remus said politely. Severus' face fell.

"How did you manage to get back into the castle without getting caught?" hissed Severus.

"What makes you think I was out of the castle?" asked Remus.

"Then where were you?" Severus snarled.

"That is my business, don't you think?" Remus asked quietly.

"You almost got us into trouble, Severus," said Lindi, sounding slightly hurt.

Remus looked at her in warning. _Don't admit anything, Lindi. _

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "How could I have gotten you into trouble if you weren't out of bounds? Besides, I don't see how it would have been _my_ fault if you'd been caught somewhere you shouldn't have been. I didn't have you out after hours. Maybe you should pick your _friends_ more carefully," said Severus, coolly.

"You were out with _him_?" sneered Avery. "Gawd, Dellington, I would have thought you'd have better taste."

Lindi's mouth dropped and she sputtered. "Uh…wha…well, that is _not_ _nice_, Julian!" she finally said.

_Ah, Lindi, queen of the biting comeback_, Remus thought in amusement. But he noticed that she wasn't denying the allegation, so he didn't mind her weak defense of his honor.

"Come on, Remus, maybe we should see if Professor Slughorn will let us in the other classroom," she said softly.

"Oh come on, Lindi, don't go," said Evan. "Avery is just in a foul mood from having to squeeze squid ink all day. Tell her you're sorry." He elbowed Avery sharply in the ribs.

"_Sorry_," Avery said insincerely.

"Professor Slughorn is in a meeting with the Headmaster, anyway," said Evan.

So Remus and Lindi sat their books down at a table near the back of the room and Remus laid out his potions kit while Lindi went to retrieve ingredients from the potions stores. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus could tell Severus was staring at him. He continued to unpack his things. The next thing Remus knew, Severus was standing next to the table, glaring down at him. As Remus calmly placed his mortar and pestle on the table, he slid his left hand into his pocket and found his wand, hoping he wouldn't need to use it.

"Is there something I can do for you, Severus?" he asked.

"You can tell me how you managed to worm your way out of detention," Severus said.

Remus smiled patiently. "Again, I don't know why you are so sure I should be in detention."

"Because your clever friends aren't as clever as they _think_ they are," Severus said, his lip curling into a confident smirk. "I overheard them telling that Mudblood friend of yours to warn you, _Moony_. Charming pet name's you have for each other by the way; it's just so _sweet_."

Remus said nothing. What _could_ he say? He had always thought it was rather reckless to call each other by their nicknames in front of others, but it had quickly become habit. Besides, Sirius and James insisted that the chance of anyone putting two and two together and coming up with three unregistered Animagi and a werewolf running around Hogwarts was virtually nil. Remus had to admit, it did seem an unlikely leap, and he was sure that if Severus had an inkling as to what the names really represented, the whole school would know.

"I have to wonder why you were so interested in my whereabouts in the first place," Remus said finally. Before Severus responded, Lindi came out of the store cupboard with her arms full.

"Is everything all right?" she asked nervously.

"Fine," drawled Severus and he turned and went back to the front of the room.

Lindi looked after him sadly. Remus didn't particularly care for the fact that she considered Severus something of a friend, but he understood that they had worked together in Potions for almost a year. He took some of the jars from her and she set the rest on the table.

"I want to go talk to Severus while you get these organized," she said quietly.

"I understand," he said. "But, Lindi, don't admit anything. We can still get into trouble."

"Okay, I just want him to know there are no hard feelings," she said.

Remus smiled. He was quite sure that Lindi was the only one involved who had no hard feelings. He went about the work of organizing and preparing his ingredients, trying to ignore the urge to hex Julian and Evan blind for the way they were leering at her as she leaned over one of the young boys' cauldrons. _You might as well get used to that_.

"What are you working on, Severus?" she asked curiously. "You aren't tutoring these boys, are you? Is this your detention?"

"Why else would I be wasting my time with the idiots?" Severus snarled through clenched teeth. It must have been galling for him to admit he had received the detention when Remus had not. "Of course, it could be worse; at least I don't have to try to help _Lupin_. Are you quite sure _you_ aren't being punished?"

"Severus…" she said pleadingly.

"You better get back to him before he poisons us all with toxic fumes," Severus said dismissively. "He is, after all, as inept as either of these two."

Remus continued with his work as Lindi turned back towards him. Better to pretend he hadn't heard their exchange and spare her the trouble of feeling sorry for him. He raised his pestle and brought it down roughly on the Mandrake root lying in the mortar.

"Remus, wait; don't pound it," Lindi said briskly as she returned to his table. "You need to grind it, like this." She wrapped her hand around his, over the pestle, and twisted it down onto the root. He liked that. "So you end up with a smooth, even paste."

He felt his face warming. In the front of the classroom, the Slytherins started sniggering. Lindi turned to look at them. She turned back and gave Remus an apologetic look, and released his hand. She obviously felt bad about drawing further attention to his _ineptitude_, though he didn't mind as long as she squeezed his hand like that.

"Hey, Lindi, why are you wasting your time on a bloke who still doesn't know when to pound and when to grind?" said Evan. "Why torment yourself?"

"Helping someone out isn't torment, Evan," she said earnestly.

"Help me out, then. You can tell me when to pound and when to grind," Evan said, grinning wickedly.

"First of all, Evan, you are working with squid ink which obviously doesn't need either," she said, oblivious to the innuendo. "Secondly, I know you have no problem with potions and know perfectly well when to pound and when to grind."

"You're damn right I do," he said huskily.

"Then why are you asking for help?" she asked, becoming exasperated.

The Slytherins looked at each other incredulously and burst into another fit of sniggering. Remus wanted to hex their filthy mouths shut, but didn't want to embarrass Lindi by acknowledging their vulgarity.

"Just thought it might be fun for you to—er—_work_ with someone who actually knows what he's doing?" said Evan, still snickering.

Lindi turned to Remus and shrugged, befuddled.

"Just ignore them, Remus. You're doing fine," she smiled encouragingly. She was so very naïve.

"I told you I wasn't much of a Potions brewer," he said quietly, glad to ignore them…for now.

"Well, you can't be good at everything," she said, then looked away quickly and started to gather up the spare ingredients from the table. "I'll just clear these away so you have more room to work."

She carried them into the store cupboard. The clicking of her heals on the stone floor must have attracted attention because Evan glanced around and followed her inside, pulling the door closed behind him. The others turned to Remus, smirking as if waiting to see what he might do. He had to admit the urge to charge into the cupboard was very powerful, and he was a bit overwhelmed by the strength of the possessive and protective feelings he was experiencing. He did not like Evan Rosier in the store cupboard alone with her.

Then Sirius' suspicions crept into his mind. He tried to shake it. But Evan _was_ quite popular with girls. After all, he was star of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and quite good-looking in a very macho, big and burly way. Rather the opposite of Remus, though Remus wasn't exactly small. But he reminded himself of the way she would look at him and the blush that so often formed on her cheeks. _Stop trying to second guess everything, Remus. You're driving yourself mad._

Fortunately, Lindi soon opened the door. Remus heard her mutter something, but could only make out the words "you and Felicia." Evan muttered something back and Lindi walked out shaking her head and looking mildly harassed. She blushed slightly when she caught Remus staring at her.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course," she said. She obviously didn't want to discuss whatever had been said in the cupboard and he wasn't going to ask. He was certain Evan had made a pass at her, but she had obviously not accepted it.

"So, how does this look?" he said, indicating his potion as a way of diverting the awkwardness of the moment.

Lindi grimaced. "It shouldn't be that orange. Have you added the dragon's blood?"

"No, I thought it came last," he said.

"It does…hmmm," she said thoughtfully.

They worked diligently for the next hour or so, during which Professor Slughorn had arrived to release the Slytherins from their detentions. Remus was very happy to see them go. It left him and Lindi free to talk and she could correct him more openly. It occurred to him that he might not have disliked potions so much if he had been able to partner Lindi from the start. He couldn't remember ever enjoying making a fool of himself so much.

"Thanks for all of your help, Lindi. I never would have figured this out," he said as he bottled the finished potion.

"Well, it is a very complicated potion," she said generously. "I just wish we had someway of testing it, but I haven't resolved to do anything that I would need to strengthen my resolve over. But it looks close to perfect according to the description."

_You could resolve to go out with me._ But he really didn't want her to need a potion for that; that would make it a _Love Potion_, wouldn't it? "You could resolve to tackle Adamson's boggart," he suggested. Lindi nearly gasped.

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "This would not be strong enough, even if it is _perfect_. You would have to make a mind-altering potion to get me to agree to that."

"I guess it isn't fair for me to ask you to test it. You've already wasted your entire afternoon helping me," he said, checking his watch. He wouldn't have let her test it anyway. What if he poisoned her?

"It wasn't wasted," Lindi said checking her own watch. "Oh, wow, we better go before we miss dinner. I had no idea it was so late. Time does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?" she said. Remus smiled and nodded his agreement.


	28. Halloween

**Chapter 28 Halloween**

**_Summary: Lindi and Remus make it back to dinner from working on Remus' potion. Later in the week, the Halloween masquerade arrives. Will the Marauders behave? And Will Remus be able to spend some time with his good _friend_, Lindi? _**

_A/N: All right, I think I messed up here. When I planned for a Halloween function in which the students were required to come as an alumnus from one of the other houses, I called it a masquerade. I'm not sure if that is technically correct, since people typically wear a mask at this type party, and the students are simply meant to dress in costume representative of their chosen character. No one is really wearing a mask. However, they are masquerading as other people so, is it a masquerade? Costume party? Take your pick, but the only masks will be the transfigurations each student might make to themselves. So, there won't be any "I'm talking to someone and I have no idea who he/she is because I can't see his/her face." It's not that kind of Masquerade. I hope I haven't deceived anyone._

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The Great Hall was nearly deserted by the time Remus and Lindi arrived. They quickly said their goodbyes and went to there respective tables before dinner stopped being served. James and Sirius were among the few still eating, and Peter was keeping them company.

"How'd the potion turn out?" asked Peter, grinning.

"Fine, I think it might actually be as close to perfect as I'll ever get," Remus said, taking a seat and starting to fill the plate that had immediately appeared. "Of course, we didn't try it, but it _looks_ right."

"So, did you _try _anything else?" James said, wiping pumpkin juice from his lip. "I mean, how long does it take to concoct a potion?"

"We were _working_, James," said Remus, adding quickly, "So how was detention with Mr. Filch?"

"Miserable," growled Sirius. "That bastard had us clean the girls' toilet on second floor, _and_ he made us do it with toothbrushes…no magic."

"You know, the one with that ghost, Moaning Myrtle," Peter said, barely able to contain a grin.

"Now I understand why no one will use it. That is one annoying female," Sirius said, thickly. He seemed to have worked up an appetite, and was devouring his fifth chicken leg, from the pile of bones on his plate.

"Dear Myrtle has taken quite a fancy to our Padfoot," James sniggered. Sirius glared at him over the half eaten drumstick.

"Never mind, Prongs," he said.

"She kept popping out of the toilets he was cleaning, and giggling when he'd nearly jump through the stall wall. She tried to get him to take off his shirt when it got soaked with toilet water she splashed all over him," James said, clearly amused.

"She has to be the creepiest ghost in the castle," said Sirius.

"You should have seen her leering at his bum while he was crawling around. I felt like an intruder…"

"All right, shut it, Prongs," snapped Sirius irritably.

"Don't you want to talk about your new girlfriend?" James teased.

"Do you want to have this bone shoved up your arse?" Sirius glowered at his three sniggering friends. Cleaning toilets while an angst-ridden ghost flirted with him all day had not left Sirius in a good mood.

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The next several days passed pleasantly for Remus, with the exception of the thin-lipped scowls the four Marauders kept receiving from Professor McGonagall as a result of their masquerade subject reports. Remus had known she was not going to appreciate their attempt at House _understanding, appreciation, and unity_. Even though they had interspersed their papers throughout the stack of Gryffindor reports, in order to have them marked independently from one another, she had clearly picked up on their _theme_ without difficulty.

"I can't say that I'm surprised, but I am _highly_ disappointed in all of you," she chastised, her spectacles flashing as she snapped her head from one Marauder to the next, lingering a little longer on Remus, he thought. "You know perfectly well this is not what the assignment was meant for. I have half a mind to assign you new subjects and have you rewrite these reports."

"Ah Professor, the Headmaster said we could choose anyone, as long as they were from a different house than our own," said James innocently. "I just picked someone I found to be very _interesting_. We all did."

Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared and her lips were pressed so tightly they were practically nonexistent. "Interesting my foot! That is just an excuse to make a mockery of what should be an _educational_ and _unifying_ event. You might have _technically_ followed the instructions, but you knew exactly what you were doing when you made these choices, and I am _disgusted_ by your cavalier disregard for the spirit of the assignment."

"But it was _very _educational, Professor," said Sirius.

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Professor McGonagall had sent them on their way with a dire warning not to cause any trouble at the Halloween party. Remus hoped that she wasn't asking too much. He had a feeling just showing up in their costumes might be enough to stir up trouble. Of course, that was the whole point, if Remus was honest with himself. He really should have insisted on going as Adelbert Waffling or Archibald Alderton, either of whom were more suited to Remus' interests or personality. Waffling's brilliant writings on Magical Theory were inspiring, and Alderton's destruction of an entire village while trying to mix a birthday cake reminded Remus of his own incompetence at mixing potions. Still, Remus had gone along with his friends, just as he usually did.

But the party wasn't the only thing on Remus' mind. He found himself spending more and more time with Lindi. Prior to their Forbidden Forest excursion, they had really only spent significant time together during Dueling Club practice. Now, however, they seemed to spend the time leading up to shared classes deep in conversation, and instead of hasty _see-you-laters_ after class, they would walk together until time to go their separate ways. It was really quite nice, and wasn't doing his study habits any harm either. He found that the prospect of running into Lindi in the library made tearing himself away from the distraction of his friends a fair bit easier. Of course, her presence was a bit of a distraction too, but, luckily, when it came to school work, Lindi was very disciplined. They might let the conversation wander briefly, from time to time, but even studying for a Potions quiz was a pleasure with her.

By the end of the week, Remus realized he had already become accustomed to spending more time with Lindi, and the more he spent, the more he wanted. On the days they didn't share any classes, he really _missed_ her, and seemed to live for the next meal, when he could get a glimpse of her at Ravenclaw's table. While it was frustrating to only _see_ her and not be able to talk, the shared glances and that coy little smile she would throw at him were thrilling. Every time he caught her eye it felt as if an electric current was running through him. Yes, he was definitely hooked!

Of course, Remus wasn't the only one who noticed the glances and smiles. Fortunately, his friends were actually maintaining exceptional restraint, and the most he had received from them was the occasional elbow to the ribs or a wink from James or Peter now and then. Sirius seemed to be ignoring the situation with a bit of effort, which Remus felt was probably for the best.

Then there was Lily; Remus felt terribly guilty that she obviously still believed that he and Lindi had become _more than friends_ at the cove. He just hadn't had the opportunity to correct her misconception. It had been a very busy week for them both, what with a number of assignments and tests coming due now that they had reached mid-term, and the preparations for the Halloween party. In addition, Lily was very involved with the preparations for the upcoming Crystal Ball. All in all, Remus hadn't seen Lily accept during classes or in passing all week. Then, they were always accompanied by friends which didn't give him the opportunity to discuss anything personal with her.

But every time he saw Lily beaming at him and Lindi, he new he needed to set her straight, although there was a part of him that thought if he waited a little longer, he wouldn't have anything to straighten. Remus couldn't help but hope that after the Halloween party, when he would at last have another opportunity to spend purely social time with Lindi, he might actually see even more progress. There _was_ another Hogsmeade weekend coming up…

But, until then, he was really enjoying his _friendly_ relationship with Lindi.

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The day of the party finally arrived. The corridors were virtually deserted as Remus returned to the dormitory from his Ancient Runes class. No doubt everyone was busy charming and transfiguring themselves and their props for their costumes. He found James, Sirius, and Peter doing just that.

"There you are, Moony," said James. "Here, I decided to make one for each of you." James tossed Remus a thin, flesh colored parcel with straps. "Don't give me that look; it isn't at all uncomfortable, is it Wormtail?"

"No, I can't even tell I'm wearing it," said Peter. "It's not nearly as uncomfortable as the Slytherin patch on my robes."

"So, you are really going to do this at the party?" Remus asked James, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"Course I am. It took me two days to work it out. Go on, put it on and I'll show you."

"I'd really rather not, James. It's disgusting," said Remus.

"Aw, come on, Moony," James insisted. "It's the best part of my costume. I want everyone to fully understand just who the man was. That's the whole point of the masquerade, right…to educate each other about the people in different houses? Nothing shows what he was like better than _this_."

"Just promise me you'll try not to scare some first year to death," said Remus, defeated.

"You have my word as a gentleman," James said, grinning.

_Great…that's _very _reassuring._

They continued to prepare their costumes. Remus gingerly placed the last of his hedgehogs into the cage. Seven in all, and not a single aglet was visible from the trainers he had transfigured. He had definitely improved since his O.W.L. He latched the cage with some satisfaction, along with the trepidation he felt over their _theme_. Did they really need to select the nastiest people they could find? But he was distracted from his worries when James whistled loudly, and Peter started making cat calls. Remus turned to see Sirius, in full female robes, striking a pose.

"Gah, you make one ugly woman, Padfoot," laughed James.

He was right. Sirius was a very good looking _man_, but the masculine features that made this so, did _not_ make for a pretty woman. He had not tried to alter his features, though he had lengthened his hair and pulled it back into a severe knot. This only accentuated the square jaw that girls swooned over, and the makeup he had applied was rather harsh, giving him an even more wicked appearance. Not to mention, he had intentionally left the five o'clock shadow that would have been easy to remove. Sirius obviously didn't want to make his dear mum's cousin, Araminta, attractive in the least. He drew himself up to his full height, which was considerable even without the heels, and aimed his wand at James.

"How dare you insult a daughter of one of the finest pure-blood houses in all of Britain? I'll have you know that the Crabbe family is one of the most respected lines of all, you filthy little blood-traitor!" Sirius hissed dramatically. "You, lover of Muggle-borns, are not worthy to breathe the air I breathe. Out of my sight before I petition the Ministry to declare open season on traitorous pure-bloods as well as Muggles!"

"Give it your best shot, old hag!" cried James, raising his own wand. "But, you don't know who you are messing with!"

"Oh, do it, Prongs," cried Peter. "See if it works!"

"Of course it works!" said James indignantly. "_Sectumpera_!"

Peter groaned and Remus grimaced.

"Professor McGonagall is going to be very upset when someone passes out or vomits all over the Great Hall because of that," Remus said queasily.

James grinned triumphantly.

"It is amazing how realistic it is," said Sirius, gazing down at the slimy fake intestines spilling from the pouch he had strapped underneath his robes.

"Not nearly as realistic as it would be if you'd let me do it properly," said James, smirking.

"I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you," said Sirius sarcastically. "But I draw the line at having my entrails blasted out of my arse all night long."

"I could have made it a bum pouch," argued James.

"No thanks, I don't want it to even _look_ like I have something blasting out of my arse. Just be thankful we're willing to wear the blasted pouch at all and stop complaining! This is realistic enough," Sirius assured him, grimacing at the mess on the floor in front of him. "And don't make a mistake and say the real incantation, because that is one bloody awful spell."

"Compliments of another fine Slytherin!" said James darkly. He waved his wand and the intestines folded back up into the pouch. With another quick swish, it was sealed along with the cut in Sirius' robes.

"It might not be exact, but it really is a bit of excellent work, Prongs," said Sirius appreciatively. "Or should I say Rackharrow?"

"Why thank you, Madam Meliflua," James said, bowing. "When you win the right to hold your Muggle hunts, you should try it. I can teach it to you."

"That is really sick," said Remus.

"Just getting into character," said James airily.

"Speaking of sick…are you sure you don't mind my going as Thanater?" Peter asked, looking quizzically at Remus.

Remus hesitated for a moment as he turned to check his hedgehogs. They were clambering over one another to get at the water bottle he had placed in the corner. It gave him a moment to consider how he felt again. He really hoped he wouldn't regret telling Peter he didn't mind that he had decided to go as Bodach Thanater, a wizard who had organized werewolf hunts during the 1890's as entertainment for his friends. Though the hunts had claimed the lives of numerous werewolves, there had been no move to stop them, until Thanater's own daughter had informed a Ministry official of the fact that he was _acquiring_ his prey illegally. While no one had minded the killing of roaming werewolves over the full moons, they had been forced to draw the line at kidnapping werewolves in their human forms and holding them captive until they could be released right before their transformations.

The fact that Peter was portraying Thanater didn't bother Remus. Not even the wolf pelt Peter had transfigured from his cloak bothered him…much. It was the prospect of hearing other peoples' opinions on Thanater's offenses that made Remus a bit uneasy. But it was too late to change his mind now.

"I told you I didn't mind," Remus answered, turning back to Peter. "But, as I also told you, don't be surprised when some people don't seem to think he was as bad as you think he was."

"Just another chance to figure out who is an evil git and who isn't," said Sirius, his eyes flashing. Remus got the distinct impression Sirius was in the mood for trouble.

"Just promise me you won't use that as an excuse to hex people. Professor McGonagall is already expecting trouble and she isn't going to put up with anything," Remus said emphatically.

"You worry too much, Moony," said James, fastening his Slytherin robes.

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When they finally entered the Great Hall, they made their way to the Slytherin table, as everyone was required to sit at the table of their alumni. Somehow, the glowing jack-o-lanterns, flittering bats, and rattling skeletons seemed more eerie from beneath the serpent-covered banner than they had from beneath the Gryffindor lion in years past. Peter was right; it was a very strange sensation to look down and see the green trim of a Slytherin robe, even if it was a Halloween costume.

The feast was impressive, as usual. To make it even more pleasant, they were joined at the Slytherin table by Leanna Haversham who had come dressed as Artemesia Lufkin, the first female Minister of Magic. Leanna's presence was serving as a nice distraction for Sirius, and Remus hoped it might keep him from getting into trouble.

Unfortunately, Lindi had not chosen to join her friend as a Slytherin, though this wasn't at all surprising. Remus hadn't been able to spot her at the Hufflepuff or Gryffindor tables yet, and was determined to keep his cool, and not ask Leanna where Lindi was. It was halfway through the meal before Leanna finally mentioned her friend when they were commenting on the different costumes.

"Lindi ended up writing two reports. She couldn't make up her mind who she wanted to be. It wasn't until she did a dress rehearsal this weekend that she decided to go for Alberta Toothill. It's too bad really, because her transfiguration into Gunhilda of Gorsemoor was brilliant," Leanna said, brightly. "But she said walking around with the hump was murder on her lower back."

"Who's Gunhilda of Gorsemoor?" asked Peter.

"She was the healer who discovered the cure for Dragon Pox," Leanna answered. "A former Hufflepuff. That was another thing that helped Lindi decide to go for Toothill; she was a Gryffindor. Lindi has this _infatuation_ with Gryffindor."

"Which is why she's in Ravenclaw; she's a smart girl," said James.

"Most of the time," agreed Leanna.

"What does that mean?" asked Sirius.

"Nothing," said Leanna as if she realized she'd said something she shouldn't have. "We all do stupid things once in a while, don't we?"

"What stupid thing has Dellington done?" Sirius asked.

Leanna looked at him intently for a moment. "Nothing," she said again. "Of course, almost forcing yourself to spend hours breaking your back as a one-eyed humped-backed witch at a party, instead of going as an _attractive_, famous Dueling Champion isn't something _I_ would have considered. But Lindi's used to being attractive, isn't she?" Leanna said this last rather stiffly.

_Uh oh, he's gone and made Leanna jealous_. Had he meant to do that? Remus knew Sirius was interested in Leanna, but even with his own very slight experience with women, Remus knew you weren't supposed to show _any_ interest in another girl, even if it was to find out what stupid things she might have done. Sirius _had_ to know this.

Sirius shrugged noncommittally. "She's all right, I guess. She's kind of short."

Remus, James, and Peter looked away quickly before they started sniggering. Sirius was full of crap and they all knew it. As if he cared how tall she was…. But the smile on Leanna's face when they finally turned back was proof that Sirius was a master of seduction. After all, Leanna was far from stupid. She had to know that Sirius had made a play for Lindi in fifth year. Besides, Lindi might have been shorter than Leanna, but she wasn't exactly short; as if height played a part in whether she was attractive or not in the first place. But the response that his simple statement _she's kind of short_ had invoked, couldn't have been better if Sirius had said, _You are taller than she is, and I like my women tall, so don't worry about her_. How did he know what to say? _He's a master!_

Remus wondered again what it would be like to have that kind of an affect on women—on Lindi to be precise. His fantasizing was interrupted by the disappearance of the puddings and the sound of Professor Dumbledore's voice echoing through the hall.

"I'd like to wish you all a happy Halloween!"

Remus and many others chuckled as the Headmaster brushed a tentacle from the giant glutinous jelly-fish he had perched upon his head out of his eyes.

"For those of you who do not know me," the Headmaster said smiling. "You may call me Uric, for tonight. I would like to congratulate you all on your wonderful costumes. It is a great pleasure to see so many of the faces from Hogwarts' past. In order to give us all a chance to mingle and get to know one another, I shall be brief. But first, let us all stand and sing the School Song."

There was a bit of grumbling intermixed with giggles and the scraping of the students benches as everyone got to their feet. Professor Dumbledore raised his wand and the words floated out of the end and drifted up over everyone's heads. The sound was excruciating as everyone sang the same words but to their own tune. Finally, it was over.

Professor Dumbledore sighed wistfully. "Lovely! Please remain standing," he said quickly as some had started to retake their seats. "Without further ado…" He waved his wand and the tables and benches vanished into thin air. He began to point and jab his wand towards different parts of the large room, leaving a variety of stations set for party activities. There was conjure-the-tail-on-the-black-cat (not so easy to do with the cat running from you), a table full of small pumpkins, probably for carving, and other tables with activities Remus couldn't make out. These were clearly geared towards the younger students. In each corner, large round tables laden with smoking punch bowls and what looked like bottles of butterbeer appeared. In one corner, a sort of lounge materialized complete with couches and comfortable chairs surrounding game tables. It was reminiscent of the Common Room and Remus realized it was a place for the students, particularly the older ones, to relax and mingle with people from other houses. The Headmaster thought of everything.

"Let the party commence," declared Professor Dumbledore. An uproarious noise filled the Great Hall as people scattered.

Remus decided he was already tired of carrying around a cage full of hedgehogs and made his way to the lounge area. He could set them under the drink table and get them out of the way. In the two minutes it took Remus to return, James must have decided to demonstrate Urquhart Rackharrow's nastiness. As Remus approached, he heard a shriek, gagging, and something splattering.

"Oh, my gosh! Peter, don't move! Someone get Madam Pomfrey."

Remus recognized Lindi's voice at once, but as she was dressed in a medieval headdress and Gryffindor colored robes, he wouldn't have known it was her holding on to Peter otherwise. She had rushed towards Peter, who was standing with his fake intestines draped all over the floor. People were gaping, some gagging and looking away, and someone had actually lost their feast.

James and Sirius were practically doubled over with laughter, but at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice, James managed to _clear up_ the entrails in a blink. Lindi's mouth dropped and she looked bewildered, as did a number of the onlookers.

"What is going on here? Who screamed?" asked Professor McGonagall. She nearly slipped in the sick on the floor. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "_Evanesco_." The sick vanished from the floor with the wave of her wand. "Barston, do you need to go to the hospital ward?" she asked the watery-eyed first year who had been ill.

The girl shook her head. "What happened then?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Too many sweets probably, Professor," James suggested, throwing the young girl a warning glance.

The girl looked perplexed for a moment but seemed to realize she shouldn't give contradictory information. She looked at the floor when the professor turned back to her.

"Miss Dellington?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

Lindi looked unnerved at being addressed. "Yes, Professor."

"What happened here? What was wrong with Mr. Pettigrew?"

Lindi's eyes grew wider and darted around to each of the Marauders. "Erm…I'm not sure…he…"

"You are the one who told him not to move, are you not?" inquired Professor McGonagall.

Lindi looked at her dumbstruck. She clearly didn't want to get them into trouble.

"He was about to step in the…"

"I'm speaking to Miss Dellington, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall snapped.

"Right, he was about to step in the vomit, Professor," Lindi said with relief.

Remus noticed his friends were rolling their eyes.

"And he needed Madam Pomfrey for this?" the professor said skeptically.

"Oh, right, erm…well…" Lindi was obviously thinking hard. "Oh! No, that was for her," she said pointing at the first year.

_Crikey, she's a lousy liar! _Well, it wasn't very convincing, but Lindi had at least tried.

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Lindi held her breath. Finally, the professor looked around at the other students, none of whom wanted to meet her eye. Luckily, there were none of the Marauders' enemies present. She gave them a warning look and turned to the first year. "Next time, do try to make it to a toilet, Barston." And she walked back towards the front of the hall.

"You are a master of deception, aren't you, Dellington?" said Sirius sarcastically.

Lindi's face flushed. "I was caught off guard," she said defensively. "Besides, I was still in shock from seeing Peter's guts all over the place."

"Don't worry about it," said James. "She didn't give us away. Thanks, Dellington."

"You're welcome," she said meekly. "What was that all about, anyway?"

They spent the next few minutes talking about their characters.

"Wow, very, er…_nice_. And who are you, Remus, or do I want to know?" Lindi asked.

"I'm Thaddeus Thurkill, a _lovely_ man who turned his seven sons into hedgehogs when they turned out to be squibs."

"_Ohh_, that is horrible. His own children?" she shook her head sadly. "Why would you all want to be such miserable people?"

"We wanted to get a better understanding of the Slytherins, you know, to help build inter-house unity and all," said James brightly. "And when we started researching, we found all of these very _interesting_ people."

She gave him a reproving look. "They aren't all horrible. Leanna managed to find a wonderful Slytherin."

"No, of course they aren't _all_ bad," said Remus fairly. "But, there does seem to be a significantly disproportionate number of Dark Witches and Wizards who have come out of Slytherin House compared to the others. In light of the current climate, it bears keeping in mind."

Remus didn't want to cast aspersions on the whole of Slytherin House, but in view of Lindi's naiveté and obviously friendly rapport with several somewhat suspect members of Slytherin, he felt she might benefit from a bit of enlightenment. Sometimes she worried him.

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The hours passed quickly and surprisingly trouble free. With McGonagall and the other staff keeping a close eye on the festivities, they and the Slytherins had kept their distance from one another. That, and the fact that Leanna was keeping Sirius occupied, might just allow them to survive the evening without so much as a lost point. Somehow, James had still managed to expel the entrails of all three Marauders and not get caught. Only one other person had vomited, and by the time the third years and younger had been sent back to their dormitories at ten o'clock, people were actually requesting that James teach them how to do it. It had become such a nuisance that Remus, Sirius, and Peter had gone to the toilet to remove their pouches.

When Lily finally joined them in the lounge area, James lost all interest in entrail expelling curses and came to sit with them on one of the couches. Lindi and Lily were playing with the hedgehogs on the floor.

"So, who are you Evans?" asked James. "You look familiar."

"I'm Daisy Dodderidge, founder of the Leaky Cauldron," Lily said. "Hufflepuff, obviously." She indicated the yellow patch on her corset.

"Very nice costume," James said appreciatively.

"Thanks, yours is _interesting_ too." She smirked slightly.

"Speaking of costumes," said Peter. "This pelt is burning me up. I'm going to take it back up to the room. You don't think we have to stay in costume all evening do you?"

"Sirius just went up to change," said Leanna. "His _heels_ were giving him blisters."

James leaned over toward Remus and whispered, "Actually, he told me she refused to snog him while he was in female robes and makeup." Remus nearly choked on his butterbeer.

"I'll go with you, Peter," said Remus. "I need to transfigure the hedgehogs back. I think they're getting hungry."

He noted the disappointment on Lindi's face with great satisfaction. Of course, maybe she was just sorry to see the cute little hedgehogs go…

"Are you coming back?" she asked.

_But then again… _Remus smiled. "Yes, are you going to be here awhile?"

She smiled and nodded.

Remus transfigured the hedgehogs back into trainers in what had to be record time. He also made a quick stop at the bathroom and brushed his teeth…just to be safe. The party was going very well. All throughout the evening, Lindi had rarely been far from his side, whether they were in private conversation, or hanging out with the others. Remus was really pleased that she was getting on so well with his friends. Of course she and Sirius had their differences, but with Leanna involved, even _they_ seemed to be getting along. Peter had always been fond of Lindi, and James and she seemed to really get on well. It was very entertaining to watch as Lindi managed to push James's buttons on Quidditch.

"Codswollop, James! The Arrows and Wasps rivalry is a little love spat compared to the Thunderers and Warriors," Lindi taunted, as James sputtered indignantly.

"W-What?" he yelped. "The Arrows and Wasps have been at it since before the bloody Aussies even knew how to play the game!"

Or when she said, "It's hard to say…Wronski made some fabulous plays, but Roderick Plumpton would have to be the greatest player ever."

"Are you _mad_?" cried James. "Dai Llewellyn is easily the greatest to ever play the game!"

"You would idolize someone whose nickname was _Dangerous_," she laughed.

As the friendly argument continued, Remus went to the table for another butterbeer. He stood and watched them fondly, as James's face reddened.

"I think Potter may have met his match…where Quidditch is concerned, anyway," said Lily, joining him.

Remus took a sip of his butterbeer and nodded, but Lily didn't seem to notice. She was rather focused on James and Lindi, her mouth drawn into a taught line. Remus couldn't help but think she looked almost—jealous?

"The funny thing is, she's just trying to get a reaction from him. Lindi doesn't really care that much…not the way James does anyway," said Remus. He forced a laugh and waited to see how Lily would respond.

"Well, it's working," she said (rather coolly he thought).

_Could she actually be jealous?_ It wasn't the first time Remus had gotten the impression. He had thought the same thing in the Forbidden Forest, when Lindi had jumped up on James to get away from what she had thought was a snake…

Lily continued to stare. James was now on the edge of his seat, his hands flailing in the air as the argument continued. Finally, she shook her head as though clearing away whatever had gripped her, and smiled at Remus.

"He is such a nutter," she said, and it was Remus' turn to smile.

"Yeah, where Quidditch is concerned, anyway—among other things," he said. He would have almost sworn Lily blushed before turning back to the two arguing on the couch.

Then, Lindi looked around at him and grinned, giggling as though she found James silly.

"So," Lily said, sounding back to normal. "Things seem to be going splendidly with you and Lindi. I knew you two would be great together, but frankly, Remus, I was beginning to think you'd never get around to dating."

"Erm, Lily…I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I'm afraid I must have given you the wrong impression," Remus said, his face growing hot.

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked.

"Lindi and I are just really good friends," he said. Lily gave him her most incredulous look. "No, it's true. She doesn't want to date me because we're such good friends. She's afraid it would mess things up."

Lily made a disgusted tutting noise. "You're joking, right?"

"No, it's no joke," he assured her.

"What a load of rubbish!" Lily snapped. "Well, I've got news for her…you two are already dating, even if she won't admit it."

That was exactly the way it felt to Remus. But as long as Lindi refused to admit it, he had to constantly battle the impulses to do the things he would, or _should,_ be able to do if they were actually dating, like brush away that strand of hair that kept falling into her face since she had removed her costume headdress, or sit close with his arm draped over her shoulder, like Sirius and Leanna, or walk up behind her and whisper sweet nothings into her ear…the things couples did. Not to mention the fact that he didn't get to enjoy the knowledge that a good night kiss was awaiting him at the end of the evening. No, they weren't dating. They were _almost_ dating, and that was entirely different.

"I guess I'm going to have to have a little talk with her," Lily said, watching Lindi thoughtfully.

"No, Lily," Remus said. "That isn't necessary."

"Don't worry, I won't tell her I talked to you," Lily said conspiratorially. "Come on; let's go rescue her before Potter challenges her to a duel for Dangerous Dai's honor. She is only _portraying _a Dueling Champion after all."

"Lily…" But Lily had already made up her mind, obviously. Remus worried that Lily wouldn't _need_ to tell Lindi that she had talked to him about their relationship. It would be obvious when Lily made a bee line for Lindi after she had just finished talking to him. Would Lindi think he was pushing? Things were going really well. He didn't want to mess that up. Why, why was all this so complicated and stressful?

Fortunately, Lily didn't grab Lindi and drag her away for a lecture, and they all continued to enjoy the party. As midnight drew ever nearer, the Professors had begun drifting back to their quarters. The fourth and fifth years had been sent to the dorms at eleven, and the sixth and seventh years presumably could be trusted to behave themselves with little supervision. Professor Slughorn was carrying on with part of his little Slug Club up at the staff table, and Professor Flitwick had fallen asleep in one of the cushy chairs in a corner. With the lack of policing by the adults, the remaining students had started pairing up. Peter had reconciled with Marci and he left to walk her back to her house. James nudged Remus in the ribs when he saw Sirius slipping away with Leanna. He and Remus shared a look of barely veiled envy when they glanced at the two lovely girls standing next to the drink table. Lindi and Lily had gone to retrieve butterbeers…fifteen minutes ago. _What are they talking about?_ Remus wondered nervously. They returned a few minutes later, but the sight of couples snogging in the corners seemed to make them all slightly self-conscious. Lily refused to sit when James offered the cushion next to him.

"I don't think so; I'm going on up," she said. "I'll see you lot later."

"I'll walk with you," Lindi said briskly.

The two girls shared a look, and Lily deflated slightly. When she turned to Remus, she rolled her eyes and wished him goodnight. As the girls walked away, Remus was really glad Sirius had already left. The look he got from James was bad enough. While it implied he thought Lindi had been leading Remus on, at least it held a bit of sympathy.

Was Remus the only one who thought the night had been productive?

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In no time, another full moon was upon him. To Remus, it felt as though he had just had a transformation. He supposed it was all the activity, school work, and time spent with Lindi that was making the days speed by. Not to mention the looming Crystal Ball was rapidly drawing nearer. He was quickly running out of time to convince Lindi that they should be more than just friends if he was going to be able to take her as his date. He hadn't seen as much of her as he would have liked over the last couple of weeks due to his heavy work load, prefect duties, and more lessons with Professor Dumbledore. Now that he was ill from the impending full moon, he realized it was probably for the best that he didn't spend everyday with her, only to disappear at the full moon each month. It reminded him of first year and his attempts to spend time away from James, Sirius, and Peter so they wouldn't notice the pattern. They hadn't been able to figure things out until they shared a room. Remus and Lindi didn't even share the same house. As much as he would like to be able to hang out with her in the common room every night, he realized it would help prevent her from figuring out his secret. Of course this was only until the time was right to tell her….

There had been a heavy snow two days ago, and the grounds were still sparkling white as Remus crossed to the Whomping Willow. He imagined it would be beautiful in the light of the full moon. James and Sirius would enjoy romping in it with the wolf. Poor Peter would have to hold on to one of them or risk being buried. Of course, they would have to be careful where they went, as they would be much more visible against the moonlit snow. He hoped James and Sirius considered that before they took him out. He also hoped that the brightness and beauty wouldn't entice people into taking a midnight stroll. Of course, he always worried that something would make people come out. But he was sure the cold would help to discourage them. Anyway, James and Sirius would protect them if they did….

When he awoke the next morning, the usual relief washed over him as his friends entered and assured him that all had gone well. _Another full moon come and gone._

He was recovering in the hospital wing when he heard whispering voices. "Moony—Moony, are you awake?" Sirius said very softly.

"Ummhuh, what time is it?" Remus said hoarsely.

"It's nearly four o'clock. How do you feel?"

"About how you'd expect. What are you doing?" Remus asked sleepily.

Before they had started joining him at the full moon, they had always come to visit him during his recovery in hospital. Of course, he had needed to stay much longer back then. Now, they usually waited until he made it back to the dorm, since he typically just needed to sleep to recover.

"We thought we'd stop by on the way to dinner. We've got news," said James eagerly.

"We've been waiting all afternoon so we wouldn't wake you," said Peter.

Remus pushed himself up stiffly and propped himself against the head of the bed. "What's happened?" he asked anxiously.

"No one's hurt, don't worry," said James. "Guess who got sacked?"

"Here at Hogwarts?" Remus asked. James nodded. "I don't know, who?" Remus really didn't care for guessing games when he'd just been through a transformation. They knew his head would be foggy.

"Well, here's a hint," said Sirius. "Who can you imagine getting sacked for getting caught in the sack with a student?"

Remus tried to focus for a moment. Then it came to him. Sirius started to smile as he saw the realization dawning on Remus' face. "Adamson," they said together.

"He actually got _caught _with a student?" Remus asked, amazed. "Was it last night?"

"Yep! The full moon makes people crazy you know?" James said. "The stupid git."

Remus sat dazed. Their DADA instructor, now former instructor, was a jerk, and Remus had always heard he was something of a womanizer, but to get caught in flagrante with a student—_at school—_was insane.

"Don't you want to know who he was with?" asked Peter.

"Oh, yeah," said Remus blankly.

"She's in our year," Peter hinted.

"I really don't feel like guessing," Remus said.

"Dellington," said Sirius flatly.

Remus felt all the blood drain from his face and he couldn't breathe. If he hadn't already been reclining, he would have fallen over.

"Bloody hell, Sirius, that isn't funny!" said James. "Especially when he's in this condition. It was Felicia Dagget, Remus."

_Oh, thank God._ Remus breathed again and turned to Sirius. "That _wasn't_ funny, Sirius," he managed to croak.

Sirius looked at Remus strangely. "I didn't expect you to actually _believe_ me," he said quietly.


	29. Sweet Sixteen

**Chapter 29 Sweet Sixteen**

Remus was rattled by Sirius' little joke. The shock of it had left him even shakier and queasier than the transformation had already made him. But the worst part for Remus was that he hadn't realized immediately that it had been just that, a _joke_. For a moment, Remus had _believed_ that Lindi had actually been intimately involved with someone—Professor Adamson no less. How could he have believed that?

He made his way back to Gryffindor Tower alone. James, Sirius, and Peter had gone on to dinner, but Remus had no appetite. All he wanted was a warm shower and a good night's sleep. As the doubts swirled in his head, he worried if he would be able to get to sleep at all. For what seemed like ages, he had been telling himself that it was just a matter of time before Lindi opened up to him, that he _knew _her, and that Sirius was wrong about her. Yet he had not doubted Sirius' proclamation that Lindi had been _in the sack_ with Professor Adamson. Maybe Remus didn't really believe he knew her as well as he'd like to think. Or maybe he wasn't as confident in the possibility of her finally going out with him as he tried to convince himself he was…He was starting to wonder if the confusion would ever end?

As he had feared, Remus found sleep to be rather elusive, even considering his condition. He couldn't get comfortable, and a large bruise on his side had started to ache once the pain potions had worn off. He hated depending on the potions, and he tried to take as little as he could get by with, since he would be more alert the next morning without taking one right before bed. But after tossing and turning, he realized if he couldn't get to sleep, he wouldn't be alert anyway, so he finally gave in and took the potion Madam Pomfrey had sent with him and rubbed another layer of the bruise-healing paste on his side.

He also made a concerted effort to think of anything other than Lindi and Professor Adamson. _Something pleasant_…He thought of the Chocolate Flower Blossoms his mum would send in the post the next day. He had made a special request for them this month, as they would make a perfect gift for Lindi on her birthday. It worked out quite well that her birthday was two days after the full moon; the chocolates would be nice and fresh.

When he had made the request to his mum, he had also taken the opportunity to broach the subject of her teaching some of his _friends_ how to make them over the Christmas Holidays. Of course, he had only told her about Lily specifically, and he wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to hide the identity of his other _friend_ from his mother. But every time he thought about his mum's reaction to Lindi, he felt rather ill at the prospect of telling her he wanted to bring Lindi to his house, even if they were _just friends_. Well, actually, it was his mum's reaction to _his_ reaction to Lindi that was the problem. Why had he been so bloody obvious?

While the prospect of telling Mum was worrisome, it was a much more pleasant concern than the Professor Adamson problem, and he managed to drift off to sleep with thoughts of Lindi in his mum's kitchen and Chocolate Flower Blossoms, _or were those French kisses_….

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"Moony! Come on, mate, get up!" James called, pulling the curtains back from Remus' bed to let in a flood of light.

"What's going on?" Remus grimaced as his eyes tried to adjust to the brightness. "Did I oversleep?"

"Nah!" called Sirius who was pulling his robes over his head hurriedly. "We want to get down to breakfast before the owls come with the post."

"I'm not expecting anything," said Remus groggily. "Mum won't send Henrietta until lunch." He started to tug the curtains back into place. His mum knew he slept in as much as possible this soon after the transformation.

"Not post for _us_, Moony," said Peter who was uncharacteristically already dressed and waiting.

"Don't you want to see what Dellington gets for her birthday?" asked James.

Remus pushed the bed curtain back again and gazed at them suspiciously.

"What have you done?" he asked hoarsely.

They each gave their most puckish grin.

"We just sent her a Birthday greeting," said James, tugging on his shoes.

"A girl doesn't turn Sweet Sixteen everyday," added Peter.

"We couldn't pass up the opportunity to acknowledge such a significant milestone in Dellington's life, could we?" asked James.

"Or _investigate_ it?" muttered Sirius.

"What does that mean?" asked Remus.

"You'll see, if you get your arse out of bed and come on," said Sirius.

Curiosity had definitely gotten the better of Remus' fatigue. He climbed out of the bed and stiffly started to dress. "What kind of greeting did you send?" he asked.

"Erm—singing telegram," said Peter happily.

"Bird song, actually," corrected James.

"Anonymous, of course," finished Sirius.

"Why anonymous?" asked Remus. He was feeling a bit torn between concern for Lindi's reaction to whatever his friends had in store for her, and the excitement that always came when he knew the Marauders had a prank planned for someone, so long as it was a well intentioned prank, of course. He assumed this one was. Surely they wouldn't do something unpleasant to her on her birthday, especially knowing how Remus felt about her. He searched their smiling faces. James and Peter liked Lindi. Sirius…Well, Remus wasn't sure about how Sirius felt, but he wouldn't do anything to make Remus angry. Still, he had an uneasy feeling. "She isn't going to like this, is she?"

"Nah, she's going to hate it," laughed James.

"Well, depending on what the birds sing," added Sirius, throwing Remus a look he couldn't quite read. Why was Sirius being so enigmatic?

"What does that mean?" asked Remus.

"Just that the birds will sing one thing or another, depending on Dellington," said Sirius, still being evasive.

"I'm ninety five percent sure that it'll be what we hope," said James. "But if it's not, it's still a nice bit of magic."

"Then why is she going to hate it? And why are you doing it if she will?" asked a very perplexed Remus. He really needed a bit more sleep.

"Because you know how embarrassed she gets when she gets attention," said Peter.

"But an opportunity like this is practically unheard of these days," said James. "And there was no way we were going to let it pass."

"Well, if we don't go, we're going to miss it. So shut it and come on," said Sirius impatiently.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

They situated themselves to have a clear view of where Lindi was seated at the Ravenclaw table, absently nibbling a piece of toast as she listened to her friends' conversation. Remus looked away quickly when his gaze met Darlene's and she smirked. She had no doubt seen him looking at Lindi. He wondered how she was treating Lindi now that Lindi and he were spending more time together. He had been enjoying it so much that he hadn't given any more thought to how it might be affecting Lindi's relationship with Darlene. Clearly, they were still on speaking terms, which was a good sign. Of course, Lindi was likely assuring Darlene that they were _just friends_, and since they _were_, Darlene might actually believe it by now, at least where Lindi was concerned. But from the look she gave him, Remus was quite sure that Darlene knew _his_ feelings went beyond that. Why did she have to be so…whatever she was?

Suddenly, the whooshing sound of fluttering wings filled the air, followed by the animated chattering of students receiving their post. Remus put a knut into the pouch of the owl that had delivered his Daily Prophet and set the paper aside. His friends were far too anxious to see their _greeting _arrive for Remus to ignore it. He felt a thrill of anticipation when a small package landed in front of Lindi startling her.

She must have recognized the handwriting because she smiled brightly and tore into the parcel. It was a book, one of the Muggle paperback type he recognized from the ones his grandmother always had lying about. He had read a few himself. Lindi turned it over and started to read the back cover when another parcel landed on top of it. This one was larger and elegantly wrapped with a small card attached. She looked towards her friends quizzically as if she thought they had sent it. Apparently they hadn't, so she opened the card and broke into a huge grin.

"Is this it?" Remus asked nervously.

"No, that's _definitely_ not ours," said James raising his eyebrows.

Lindi was pulling what appeared to be a silky looking black blouse out of the box. She was positively beaming as she held it up to herself. _Who on earth sent her that?_ Remus wondered, suddenly feeling his Flower Blossoms were rather inadequate.

"Wonder who that's from?" muttered Sirius.

"No idea, but I think I like their style," said Peter admiringly.

"It's got to be from Rosmerta," mused James.

That was it; it had to be from Rosmerta. She was always very fashionable, and she was Lindi's cousin and guardian. Of course, that was a rather sexy top for a guardian to be giving her sixteen-year-old ward…But Rosmerta _was_ cool…

Finally, another owl came soaring over Lindi's head and dropped a third parcel into the wrappings on the table in front of her.

"About time!" said James. "That bird of yours is a bit slow, Peter. How long does it take to get from the owlery to here?"

"Well, if you didn't have to get the biggest and most spectacular of everything, we could have used yours. But then she'd recognize who it was from, wouldn't she?" said Peter defensively.

"Never mind, it's here now," said Sirius watching Lindi intently. "Let's see what the little birdies have to say."

She untied the square box, reached inside and gently pulled out a brightly colored origami bird and then a second one. The birds seemed to come to life as they were removed from the confines of the box. Lindi smiled in amazement as they unfurled their wings and began to fly off of her opened hands. Remus was impressed with the job his friends had done on the making of the birds. They seemed very lifelike. They hovered about four feet over the table in front of Lindi and a small banner unfurled between them. Lindi smiled even more brightly when she read:

_**Happy Birthday, Lindi…You are Sweet 16!**_

Other people had started watching. Remus turned to his friends, very impressed.

"This is wonderful. I don't understand what she wouldn't like about it," he said befuddled.

"Just hold on," said Sirius quietly.

When the birds started to twitter and tweet, they drew even more attention. Remus turned his attention back to them as well.

"Okay, here it comes," said Peter excitedly.

Then the birds broke into actual song.

_Sweet Sixteen, Ravenclaw Pet,_

_has never been kissed_

_by a little boy yet!_

"Aha, I knew it," laughed James slapping the table triumphantly.

"There you go, Sirius, if she had a boyfriend somewhere, she'd surely have been kissed," said Peter. Sirius merely smirked and turned back to watch.

Lindi was staring at the birds as though she hadn't quite caught what they had said, but others had started giggling and looking thoroughly amused. Remus couldn't help but smile though he knew any moment Lindi would become mortified. The birds sang the rhyme again.

_Sweet Sixteen, Ravenclaw Pet,_

_has never been kissed_

_by a little boy yet!_

Then it clearly dawned on Lindi what the birds were singing. Her eyes widened in her crimson face, and her mouth fell open. She glared at her friends accusingly. Each of them returned _don't-look-at-me_ looks, and Darlene and Constance started to snigger with the other onlookers. Poor Leanna appeared to be fighting mightily to stop herself laughing, and Remus knew how she felt.

He remembered how humiliated Lindi had seemed when they overheard her admit to Lily that she had never kissed anyone more than half a year ago. To have the fact broadcast to the entire school would be embarrassing in the extreme. Remus couldn't believe his friends would do such a thing…_Wait a minute, this is James, Sirius, and Peter…of course you can believe it. _He realized why they had left him out of the project. He would never have agreed to do this to her, though he didn't think she should be embarrassed.

But when students started laughing and shouting things like "You've got to be kidding!" and "Bloody hell, Dellington, is that the truth?" she buried her face in her hands and looked as though she wanted to melt into the floor. The birds went on relentlessly.

_Sweet Sixteen, Ravenclaw Pet,_

_has never been kissed_

_by a little boy yet!_

Lindi finally stood up as if to make her getaway. Remus couldn't read her face, but it looked more like she was stunned than truly upset. She wasn't crying at any rate. He certainly hoped she wasn't going to be hurt or angry, since it was _his _friends who had done it, and she might find out and hold it against _him_.

To Lindi's horror, and everyone else's amusement, the birds flew after her, singing ever more loudly. She returned to her seat quickly and the birds returned to their original volume.

"Somebody do something!" hissed Lindi. She looked helplessly at the girls beside her.

Remus turned to his friends, torn between admiring their work and wanting to hex them. "How long will the charm last?"

"No idea," said James, looking ever so proud of himself. "My charms are quite long-lived though, so it could go on for some time."

"What do you mean, _your_ charms," said Sirius. "One of them is mine, and her best bet is to have a snog or learn to sleep through it."

"So it has a truth charm on it as well?" asked Remus. "It would know if she did and stop?"

"Yeah," said Peter, watching as Lindi appeared to be begging her friends to stop the birds. Leanna seemed to be the only one willing to help, and the two girls were discussing possible strategies, since trying to grab the birds hadn't worked. "The truth charm was meant to detect whether she still hadn't been kissed. If she had, it would have just sung Happy Birthday." Peter finally looked at Remus grinning.

Phil Michealson sat down next to Peter, laughing. "This is a joke, right?" he asked.

"Nope!" said James happily. "It's a prank, but no joke!"

"Lindi Dellington, sex goddess extraordinaire, has never been snogged?" Phil sounded thoroughly incredulous.

"That's what a little birdie told us," laughed Peter.

"What's the matter with you, Lupin?" asked Phil, leaning around Peter and slapping Remus on the shoulder. "Aren't you dating her?"

Remus was taken aback. "We are _just_ friends." Why did he have to keep assuring people of this sad fact?

"Well, you snogged her last year, didn't you, Black? I know I saw you together," Phil said. He seemed determined to prove the birdies wrong.

"Nope," said Sirius, not taking his eyes off of the prank before him.

"Bloody hell…"said Phil slowly. "You don't suppose she…you know, fancies _girls_?"

The Marauders finally turned away from the scene and looked at him.

"Now, there's an option I hadn't considered," said Sirius.

"You know she doesn't, Sirius," said Remus quietly. He looked sternly at Phil. "Why is it easier to believe she would be snogging other girls than not snogging at all?"

"Really," agreed Peter. "She wouldn't be the first sixteen-year-old to never have been kissed. Why else would we have that rhyme? We didn't just make it up." He motioned towards the fluttering birds.

"Maybe not, but _look_ at her…" said Phil as though that explained things.

A commotion at Lindi's table drew their attention once more.

"_Arghhh_," Lindi shrieked. "My blouse!"

Somehow, a spell apparently had gone astray and set the wrappings from Lindi's other presents on fire. She frantically grabbed at the book and silk top to save them.

"Bloody hell, Lindi!" cried Leanna as she doused the flames with pumpkin juice. "Why did you do that? I thought you wanted me to stop them!"

"I do, but I don't want you to kill them!"

"_Kill_ them? For Merlin's sake, Lindi, they're _paper_!"

Remus lost all control and joined his friends in laughter. She was so totally irrational! Plus, he realized that she couldn't be _too_ upset by the prank if she didn't want to _kill it_!

"Well, don't destroy them, just make them shut up!" Lindi said.

"Whoever sent them put a shield charm or something on them, because my silencing charm just bounced off!" cried Leanna. "If you are going to be picky about how I do it, _you_ do it! Try stunning them. You said Remus taught you how!"

Well, technically, Lindi still hadn't actually stunned anyone, though she did blast a cushion off the floor.

"That might hurt them; stunners are rather forceful," said Lindi.

"Gawd blimey, Lindi," groaned Leanna, shaking her head in total exasperation.

"All right," Lindi conceded. She took aim and, flinching slightly, cried "_Stupefy_."

The spell missed rather wildly and knocked a bowl of porridge into the lap of a watching first year. His eyes widened in shock and people started preparing to take cover.

"You really have to work on her aim, Moony," said James, watching in awe.

"Thank you, I hadn't realized that," Remus said, shaking his own head.

He wondered how long this was going to continue before a professor came to her aid. Professor Dumbledore was observing the spectacle from the staff table with interest, his eyes smiling behind his half-moon glasses. Professor McGonagall covered her eyes with her hand.

"Maybe we should help her," Remus finally suggested.

"Don't you mean _you _should help her," said James. He puckered his lips and made smooching noises.

"You know, Dellington, there is probably a simple solution to your problem," a smooth voice called from the Slytherin Table behind them.

"Then help me, Severus!" she cried.

Severus looked at the Marauders and sneered. "If you _insist_," he answered her.

"Careful, Snivellus," snarled Sirius. "You'll make us all wretch."

"Jealous, Black?" hissed Severus. "She never begged you for it, did she?"

Sirius started to pull his wand, but James grabbed him. "Not here, Padfoot, the Headmaster's watching," he whispered.

"Crap! Lindi, watch it!" cried Constance, dodging a flying kipper. "Snape's right, just kiss someone and be done with it!"

"What?" Lindi gasped. "_Oooh,_ this is not happening!"

Lindi looked around frantically and for the first time all morning, she met Remus' gaze. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but her cheeks blazed more vividly, and the mortification in her eyes was almost painful. Oh, he _really_ wanted to be the one to _help_ her. He couldn't help but feel that she was actually considering it as she looked in his eyes. His heart started to race.

They stared at one another for a brief moment until someone stepped between them. Professor McGonagall flicked her wand, and the origami birds dropped like stones onto the table in front of Lindi. A collective _Awwww_ arose from the onlookers.

"Don't worry, Miss Dellington, they aren't _dead_," Professor McGonagall said, a note of amusement in her voice. "So I'd suggest you get them back into that box and secure it."

"Thank you, Professor," Lindi murmured. She rushed to gather up the box and gingerly placed the birds inside, before tying it securely. Then she gathered up her book and top from the floor where they had fallen, waved her wand, clearing off the scorched wrappings and spilled pumpkin juice, and started for the door. People cheered as she passed and a few offered Birthday kisses. Pretending she couldn't hear them, she disappeared (probably for the rest of the day) into the Main Hall.

"That was excellent!" said James, beaming. "I was afraid her face was going to spontaneously combust for a minute."

"I was afraid she was going to hurt someone," said Peter.

"Well, she took it very well," said Remus feeling very relieved.

"Yeah, I'll have to hand it to her, she actually has a sense of humor," Sirius admitted.

"With all the crap you gave her last year, she'd have to or she'd hate you," said Peter.

Sirius shot Peter a look and shrugged, then started scooping fried potatoes onto his plate. Remus had almost forgotten they needed to eat breakfast. His appetite was still weak, but he served himself a piece of toast and marmalade.

"So, what happens if she takes the birds out of the box again?" Remus asked. He could imagine Lindi doing it just to be sure they weren't _dead_.

"They'll keep singing until she's been kissed—or turns seventeen," said Sirius. He glanced at Remus. "Whichever comes first."

"And if she is kissed?" Remus asked offhandedly.

"Then they'll just fly around twittering madly," James said, grinning. "Unless she's kissed today, in which case they'll sing Happy Birthday!"

"Well, you did a really nice job on them," Remus said, changing the subject as he felt his ears go warm. "I'm particularly impressed by the way you charmed the music. Getting them to sing was very good."

"That was the hardest part," said Peter. "Well, actually, deciding on the words to replace Mother's pet was the hardest part. That's the way the rhyme actually goes, you know…Sweet sixteen, _Mother's_ pet…but under the circumstances…" Peter shrugged.

"We almost went with _Moony's_ pet," James said. "But we didn't want you to get brassed off, it being that time of the month and all."

Remus simply stared at James, feeling very thankful they hadn't done it for whatever reason.

--------------------------------------------------------------

True to form, Lindi avoided the Great Hall at lunchtime. Remus had glimpsed her down the corridor between classes that morning. He had heard someone making a joke about her being _very Sweet_ Sixteen and she had hurried off.

Henrietta showed up with his mum's care package just as he was finishing his lamb stew. Knowing she would arrive, he had brought a few owl treats for her. He opened the note attached to the candy box and read.

_Dear Remus,_

_I made an extra large batch since you requested them specifically. I know you like to share them with your friends. Tell Sirius to behave himself._

_You know your friends are always welcome to visit. I'd love to see Lily again, and finally teach her how to make the Flower Blossoms. How many will there be? Are James and Sirius still planning to stay? Let me know so I can make sure I have enough clean linens. _

_Your father is planning to come up there within the next couple of weeks on business. He'll want to see you, of course. I wish I could come with him, but someone has to feed the Crups. I did tell you your father rescued a litter, didn't I? Well, he did, and now we have three baby Crups, but your father says he already has five families who are interested when they are old enough. _

_Well, take care of yourself. I can't wait until Christmas so I can see you. Just a little over a month away. Which reminds me, have you asked anyone to the Anniversary Ball?_

_Love,_

_Mum _

Remus smiled warmly at the note. He knew his mum would be positively chomping at the bit to know if he was dating someone. She always hinted, rather unsubtly, in her notes that she wanted information on his _love life_, yet she never quite came right out and asked. It seemed that she had learned her lesson over the summer. But the approaching ball was a good excuse for her to be nosy, and she obviously intended to take advantage of it.

He reached under the table and pulled his quill and a bit of parchment from his bag.

_Dear Mum,_

_Thanks for the extra Flower Blossoms. Sirius will be thrilled, since he hasn't had a date in a while. (Well, not since Halloween.)_

Remus dipped the quill slowly, while he tried to figure out if he should tell his mum he'd also invited Lindi. Did he really think it would be better if he just showed up with Lindi in tow? He should probably just let Mum know, so she could get the awkward questions out of the way. After all, if she asked, he could honestly tell her they were _just friends_. That might not be the case if he waited much longer…he thought hopefully.

_Lily hasn't asked her parents yet, as I wanted to make sure it would be all right with you and Dad first. Also, she said she would be more comfortable if she wasn't the only girl, so I mentioned it to our friend Lindi as well. You remember you met her at the Three Broomsticks? _

Remus felt mildly guilty for his deception, but he couldn't seem to help himself.

_Lindi might have to work, but if her cousin, Rosmerta, lets her come, Lily thinks her mum and dad will also, so it will probably be the two of them, or none. I'll let you know as soon as they decide._

_James said his mum and dad are almost sure they are going on the trip. He said they will be in touch with you as soon as they are definite of their return date. So at least expect James and Sirius. _

_When will the Crups be old enough to wean? I'd like to see them. _

_No, I haven't asked anyone to the ball. It is still a month away, and since I'm not dating anyone, it would probably be imprudent to ask this soon, don't you think?_

That was a perfect opportunity to assure her that he was not _dating_ anyone, but more importantly, he was not dating _Lindi_…

_Tell Dad I look forward to his visit. _

_Love,_

_Remus_

He re-read the letter and decided it was sufficiently detached in regards to his feelings for Lindi. There wasn't anything in it that hinted that his feelings were anything more than platonic. Of course, his mum already witnessed his reaction to her, but this couldn't possibly indicate that anything had developed beyond friendship. _Well, it hasn't_, he kept reminding himself dismally.

He folded the letter and attached it to Henrietta's leg, then sent her on her way home.

"About time," said James. "We have to go. We'll be late for Transfiguration."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Transfiguration seemed to take ages and Remus struggled to stay awake. His trouble getting to sleep the night before, and then awakening earlier than planned to witness Lindi's birthday prank was taking its toll. He was exhausted and achy. He hoped it wouldn't hinder him during Dueling Club practice.

The bell finally rang and the four of them made their way back to the dorm to put their things away before heading down to the Dueling hall. Remus picked up the box of Flower Blossoms he had wrapped for Lindi and tucked it discreetly into his bag with the DADA books for practice.

"What's that you're hiding, Moony?" asked Sirius.

"I'm not hiding anything," said Remus. "It's a box of Flower Blossoms for Lindi." He felt his ears warming, not for the first time that day.

"_Oooo,_ French Kisses for her birthday," said Sirius huskily. "But I don't think _those_ will shut the birdies up."

"Leave him alone, Padfoot," said James, though he _was_ smiling.

"So, are you admitting the birds were from you, or do I have to lie to her?" Remus asked, ignoring them both.

"I wouldn't want you to have to lie to her on her birthday. We're definitely admitting it, right?" said James.

"Of course, if she figures it out," said Sirius.

"And assuming she actually shows her face," said Peter.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lindi did show her face, right as practice was getting started. No doubt, she had timed her arrival so that she wouldn't have to talk to anyone. Practice went smoothly, though Remus probably shouldn't have planned to do the Full Body Bind so soon after a full moon. Stiff and sore as he already was, it was quite painful hitting the hard floor and having to drag himself up each time. Luckily, he managed to get through instructing the others to perform it, and then proceeded to work with Lindi, as usual. That way, he didn't get hit very often.

She was a bit subdued at first and Remus figured it was embarrassment from that morning. She seemed to have difficulty looking him in the eye when he joined her at their usual end of the room.

"Hello, Lindi. Happy Birthday," he said.

"Thanks," she said bashfully. "It's been interesting."

"Yeah, I noticed."

She finally looked up at him and seemed to be searching his face for something. Was she expecting him to say something about this morning, or did she think he would think differently of her now that he knew her _secret_?

He didn't know what to say and thought it might be best to let her say something if she wanted to. For now, he wanted her to know he didn't think anything of it, so he steered clear of conversation about the prank.

"I have a little something for you after practice, if you'll hang around," he said. "It isn't particularly _interesting_, but I think you'll like it."

She smiled gratefully. "All right," she said softly. "I'm glad you are back, by the way. I missed you in Herbology. I hope your aunt is okay." She obviously noticed the blank look on his face as he tried to decide how to respond. What had his friends told her? "Peter told me she was in hospital with severe Bundimum fever, and they thought she might not make it."

"Ah, well, she's going to be fine. She's very allergic, and her house was badly infested," Remus said, relieved that Peter had given his aunt a relatively uninteresting malady. Their excuses for his absences had become less dramatic as they had gotten older. Once, in third year, Peter had informed someone that Remus' father had been attacked by a Manticore, not realizing that the Manticore's sting caused instant death. Remus had been forced to assure them that Peter had clearly misunderstood him through the floo. Fortunately, Remus had come up with a less deadly excuse that would have been easy for Peter to mistake for Manticore; his father had mistakenly been poisoned when he was given Mackled Malaclaw instead of lobster.

"I'm glad she'll be all right," said Lindi. "When did you get back?"

"Last night," he lied.

"No wonder you look so tired. I was going to see if you wanted to meet me later in the Library to study for that Herbology quiz, but you probably just want to go to bed."

"Well, I am a little tired, but I really need to study," Remus said, not willing to pass on an opportunity to see her, no matter how exhausted he was. "Besides, I could use a look at some decent notes for the class I missed. James, Sirius, and Peter aren't exactly meticulous note-takers."

So they made plans to meet in the Library after dinner and proceeded to practice _Petrificus Totalus_. She managed to freeze his legs, but never quite got his entire body. It was a start though.

When practice was over, Lindi lingered with him, helping him straighten the room. His friends and Lily were discussing charms when they finished.

"So, you had a Shield Charm on it?" asked Lily.

"Nah, it was actually a Reversing Charm. That's why it got louder," James explained. Lily nodded appreciatively.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lindi.

"Erm…I was just getting the details on your birthday present," said Lily. "You do realize these are the culprits?"

Lindi's eyes popped. "You told them?" she gasped.

"No! Of course not," cried Lily. "I would never tell anyone something you told me in confidence."

"Then how did they know?"

"We didn't know for cert until the Truth Charm worked on the birds," said James brightly. He explained how the prank had worked and that if she had been kissed before, it would have merely played Happy Birthday. Lindi was still clearly embarrassed and wouldn't look at Remus again.

"We didn't mean to embarrass you, Lindi," said Peter.

"Yeah, we did," said Sirius, truthfully. "But it was all in fun, eh, Dellington?"

"Oh, yeah, loads," she said.

"Well, we _meant_ it in fun," said James. "And Moony didn't know anything about it, by the way."

Somehow, that just made her go redder. Remus wished they would all just shut up and go away so he could give her his present before she decided to go into hiding for the rest of the week. James looked at him and winked.

"Well, I'm famished. Let's go eat," he said briskly.

They left for the Great Hall, leaving Remus and Lindi alone at last. She fidgeted awkwardly as he gathered his bag, pulled the box out and handed it to her.

"Happy Birthday," he said again.

She shook the box gently. The chocolate pellets rattled inside, and she broke into a wide grin, finally looking up at him, forgetting to be embarrassed. "Is this what I think it is?" Remus smiled. There really was something magical about chocolate.

"Probably."

"I hope so," she said as she pulled the ribbon free and removed the top. "Oh, thank you, Remus. It's a wonderful gift."

"Your welcome; Mum did all the work, of course," he smiled. "She also said it would be fine if you want to come to the house and learn. Lily too," he added quickly at the look on her face.

Lindi looked startled as if she had forgotten they had discussed the possibility. Maybe she had hoped _he_ would have forgotten…

"Is Lily going?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her since Mum's letter arrived with the Flower Blossoms today. I'll tell her at dinner." He hesitated for a moment while Lindi fiddled with the ribbon from her present, but he couldn't stand not knowing. "Do you think you might like to?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly, staring at the ribbon. "I mean if Lily's going to."

"Right—good," Remus said steadily. Meanwhile, his brain was swirling so wildly he was surprised he could stand upright. He suddenly had the urge to sprint all the way to the Great Hall and tell Lily, so they could get things figured out. If it wasn't going to work, he wanted to find out straight away, so he didn't get his hopes up to the point that the disappointment killed him.

"So, are you going to eat those and spoil your dinner, or shall we have some for dessert before we go to the Library?" he said.

"What? You are presuming I'll share?" she asked rather coyly.

"That was rather presumptuous of me, wasn't it?" he said smiling. He was ninety-five percent sure she was intentionally flirting with him. He really liked it!

"I'm teasing you, Remus. Of course, I'll share," she said. "Let's go, so we can get to the Library. You do still need to get a good night's sleep."

_That _he didn't like so much. Damn his illness! For a few minutes, he had forgotten he was exhausted and didn't feel well, but obviously, it still showed in his face. _And she thinks you just need a good night's sleep_, he thought rather bitterly.

"Is something wrong, Remus?" she asked. "Don't you want to go to the Library anymore?"

He shook the gloomy thought off. "Yes, I do," he assured her. "I just wish I wasn't so tired."

"Well, learning the way to propagate Mimbulus Mimbletonia will help keep you awake. It's rather interesting and a bit complicated," she said brightly. "That, or it will help put you into a coma."

"Well, that's good to know," he said, feeling more lighthearted again. When she smiled up at him, he knew it wouldn't be _Herbology_ that helped keep him awake.


	30. You Just Never Know

**Chapter 30 You Just Never Know**

When Remus and Lindi left the Dueling Hall, the corridors were nearly empty, since most of the students were already in the Great Hall for dinner by this time. Still, Lindi's voice was hushed when she turned to him and spoke. "So, I'm sure you've heard about what happened the other night, while you were gone?"

Remus nearly groaned_. Great, here it comes_. "Are you talking about Professor Adamson?" he asked. He had known they would eventually discuss this, but after what had happened with Sirius, he wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

"Yes. Isn't it awful? I can't believe Felicia would…" Lindi grimaced, "with _Adamson_." She gave a visible shiver. "I mean, can you believe _anyone _would actually do that?" She looked at him sideways, embarrassment and distaste equally evident on her face.

A surge of guilt rushed through him. What would she do if she knew he had believed that _she_ would? She would probably never forgive him. He hardly knew what to say. "People do all sorts of things, Lindi," he said. "You just never know."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I feel so sorry for Evan," she said. "Can you imagine how he must feel? To know it was your girlfriend?"

Another bolt of guilt struck him. He didn't want to continue with this conversation. He couldn't very well say, _Yeah, I can imagine it. I hope he was sitting down, because if he felt the way _I_ did, he would have fallen over…and you aren't even my girlfriend._

But he doubted Evan Rosier was exactly devastated by the fact that his girlfriend had been involved with another man. If he had been that enamored with Felicia, he wouldn't have been following Lindi into the Potions stores cupboard, would he?

"I think Evan will survive," Remus said. "Don't you?" He looked at Lindi pointedly. He didn't want to embarrass her, and he didn't want to sound overly critical of someone who had expressed interest in her, but he didn't want Lindi to think Evan was a sympathetic victim in the scenario either. He knew how soft-hearted she could be.

"I suppose you're right," she said softly. "So how long do you think it will take for Professor Dumbledore to replace him?"

Now this was moving into a more comfortable area of discussion. Remus had wondered the same thing. With things heating up in the outside world, the last thing he wanted was to go for an extended period of time without Defense Against the Dark Arts instruction. Arrogant, lecherous berk or not, Professor Adamson had been a competent instructor. His methods might have been unpleasant at times, but he _did_ know his subject matter, and Remus had learned a great deal from the man.

"I would expect Professor Dumbledore to have someone very soon. He won't want us to fall behind, especially now. I'd be surprised if he didn't have someone by the start of the week."

They reached the Great Hall and went to their separate tables with plans to meet in the Library after they had a chance to retrieve their things from their dormitories. Remus was very pleased to see that Lily had taken a seat with his friends. She was actually smiling and talking to them. Apparently James hadn't made a berk of himself, yet. It seemed that there was progress occurring on more than one front.

Remus sat down next to Lily. "What are you doing back so soon?" she asked, sounding a bit disappointed, and looking around, (for Lindi, no doubt).

"I have to eat so I can meet Lindi in the Library," he said, noting the immediate approval on Lily's face.

As he served himself a scoop of mashed potatoes, Remus jumped right in and told Lily about his mum agreeing to teach her and Lindi to make the Flower Blossoms.

"Oh, that's so good," Lily said brightly. "What did Lindi say?"

"She's waiting to see what _you _say," he said, with a hopeful glance.

"Well, I'll send Mum an owl tonight. I certainly hope they let me, or I'll have to spend the entire holiday with my sister and her _fiancé_." Lily squished up her nose as if she'd caught a whiff of something unpleasant. "He is really obnoxious."

"What's this all about, Moony?" asked James, clearly intrigued.

Remus hadn't told them about asking Lindi to come home with him. After their less than enthusiastic reaction to how his evening at the cove with Lindi had turned out, he had been eager to let the discussion die. He could only imagine how they would have reacted if they knew he had invited her home after she had already _shot him down_. But, they were bound to find out eventually, so he took a bracing breath and told them what he had done at the cove.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us that," said James incredulously. "You invite a girl to stay at your house, and you don't tell your best mates?"

"I can believe it," said Lily. "I'm sure he didn't want you harassing him about it, at least until he knew it might _possibly _work out."

"That's no excuse," said James indignantly. "Marauders don't keep secrets from each other. Isn't that right, Padfoot?"

"That's what I always thought," said Sirius raising a brow.

"It wasn't intended as a secret," said Remus. "I just didn't have anything to tell, until I talked to Mum and Dad. I _still_ don't. Lindi has to ask Rosmerta, and she won't do that unless Lily can go, so there really isn't anything to tell."

"Well, you obviously told Evans," said James pointedly. "And inviting Dellington to stay at your house is pretty news worthy, even if she _can't _go, especially since it would affect us, too."

"How would it affect you?" asked Lily.

"Well, since we are going to be there, too," said James, shrugging.

Remus inwardly cringed. He hadn't meant to be deceitful with Lily, but he would have preferred she not know that James was going to be there, at least until she had decided to go or not. This was probably going to ruin everything.

"_You_ are going to be at the Lupins' house, too?" asked Lily. She turned to look at Remus, one brow arched nearly to her hairline. "You didn't tell me anyone _else_ was invited."

"I didn't know they were coming for sure, when I told you about it," he said lamely.

"You are rather sneaky, aren't you, Remus?" she said. "All this time, I hadn't realized just how much of a _Marauder_ you really are." She glared at him for a moment, then cracked a grin.

Remus laughed rather nervously. "Does that mean you'll still ask your parents?"

"Yeah," Lily laughed. "Even your friends are less annoying than _Vernon_." She pulled another face.

"Oi," said James, mocking indignation. He had obviously noticed the playful tone in Lily's voice, as well.

Remus relaxed a bit, now that that was settled. There was still a chance that Lindi might get to come home with him. But what if she still wouldn't _date _him? What if she went to the ball with someone _else_? He'd have to endure the agony of being that close to her for two days. He glanced up from his half-eaten roast and saw Lindi standing up. She gathered her box of Flower Blossoms and started for the main hall, smiling at him as she passed.

"I'll see you in a few minutes, right?" she called.

"Right," he assured her. He knew then that he would gladly risk the agony.

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Remus glanced around as he entered the cavernous library. He spotted Lindi sitting alone at a narrow table wedged against the first row of stacks, her head bent over a long roll of parchment as her quill raced across it. As he drew near he took in the book she was working from, _Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_. Professor McGonagall had probably assigned Lindi's class the same paper on Human Transfiguration into inanimate objects that she had set for his class. The parchment was a third filled. She had a lot of work left to do on it; of course, Remus hadn't yet started his, as it had been assigned the day before, while he was recovering in the hospital wing.

He set his bag on the table. "Hello, Lindi."

"Oh, there you are," she whispered. She smiled warmly, but then offered him her notes from Herbology right away. He had to remind himself how dedicated to her school work she could be, or he might have taken it personally.

He spent a good twenty minutes trying to decipher her handwriting. It struck him as funny that she should have such illegible quillmanship. He had never noticed that before. He would have expected it to be _prettier _some how. However, the messiness worked to his favor, giving him an excuse to distract her from her reading. Not to mention, the way she would press against him when she leaned over the indecipherable notes to clarify them was far from annoying. But even her nearness couldn't keep his fatigue at bay. They had only been working a short time when his eyes started burning and the yawning began.

"I certainly hope it's the subject matter, and not a reflection on the company," Lindi whispered as he finished off his third yawn in a row.

"I'm sorry; it is definitely not the company," he answered.

"Maybe you should go on up to bed," she suggested. "You can take my notes and finish copying them between classes tomorrow."

_Crap_! He _hated_ being sick! He really didn't want to leave yet. But the yawning was becoming embarrassing. He knew he should go to bed, but how often did he get an opportunity to spend time alone with her? Granted, he did so more and more often, but still not enough for his liking.

"If I did that, who would decipher them for me?" he said, jokingly.

"They're not _that_ bad," she said with a playful pout.

"They're pretty bad, Lindi. No offense," he smiled. "They're still far better than Sirius' or James's, but I do need you to decipher some of them." Lindi chuckled. "Maybe if I walk around for a minute it will wake me up," he said. "It's early yet, and I really don't need to get any further behind." _You are pathetic, Remus. If it weren't for Lindi, you wouldn't even be giving a second thought to studying right now_. But, he couldn't seem to help himself.

"That might work," she said. "Want some company?"

"Sure," he said.

They walked out of the Library, into the corridor.

"Where to?" asked Remus.

"We could go down to the courtyard," she suggested. "The cold air might revive you a bit…or out on the front steps. I think I'd rather look out across the grounds. The snow is still so beautiful."

"The front steps it is then," he said, wishing there weren't so many stairs to climb to get there…and back again. But it would be nice, rather romantic really, to gaze out over the snow-covered grounds together.

When they stepped out into the brisk night air, he wished he had brought his cloak. He also wished others hadn't had the same idea about looking at the snow. There were several students lingering about on the landing. A particularly cozy looking couple sharing a cloak made him wish all the more he had brought his own. Not that Lindi would have shared it with _him _like that, but he could have offered it to her. He could tell she was already cold by the way she hugged herself.

The bright waning moon peaked out from behind a cloud, and the grounds glittered in the silvery-blue light. "Isn't it lovely?" Lindi asked. "I think it's even prettier at night than during the day. It's much softer and _sparkly_…sort of like the Cove." She gave him a conspiratorial glance.

Remus smiled.

"You missed it the other night," she said, staring back off towards the forest. "It was amazing."

For some reason, the hair on his arms and back of his neck prickled. What had he missed? What _other _night? The only night he _missed_, was full moon…

"What was amazing?" he asked.

Lindi didn't answer right away. She turned, looking at him rather shiftily and said, "If I tell you something, can you forget you are a prefect for a while?"

The prickling sensation intensified. "Why?" he asked warily.

"Well…oh, never mind, Remus, it isn't fair of me to put you in such an awkward position."

"What have you done, Lindi?" he asked quietly. "You can't just start something like that and tell me to forget it." He smiled, though he was only trying to mask the alarm he was feeling.

"What makes you think I_ did_ something?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but Lindi clearly didn't realize she was a lousy liar. Her guilt was written all over her face.

"Why else would you need me to forget I was a _prefect_?"

"Oh…erm…maybe it wasn't _me_. Maybe it was someone else," she said unconvincingly.

Remus stared at her accusingly, one brow cocked. "Tell me what you've done, Lindi," he insisted. "I've forgotten completely that I am a…what was I?"

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because I don't want you to feel bad about not carrying out your responsibilities."

"Lindi, as much as I hate to admit it, this won't be the first time I've shirked my responsibility. Remember who my friends are," he said, smirking shamefully. "And it isn't like I've never broken a rule, as you well know. Tell me; I won't tell anyone."

"All right," she said bracingly. "Well, the other night when you were visiting your aunt in hospital, I…er…managed to break curfew again." Her eyes widened as if she was shocked by her own admission.

Remus' stomach clenched painfully. That was the night of the full moon. Lindi had been out of the castle after hours…he had been out, _transformed_. He stared at her, forcing himself to breath calmly.

"What do you mean you broke curfew?" he managed to say.

"Well, we had Quidditch practice that day and when it was over, I didn't want to go inside. I haven't had much chance to fly lately, and it was such a nice day. Bit cold of course, but so clear and the snow was fresh and so beautiful and bright. I just didn't want to go inside," she explained. "It was so good to fly and clear my head. I've needed it for a while. Then, I just sort of lost track of time. Before I knew it, it was after hours."

"What time was it?" he asked, a bit aggressively, for she looked startled and seemed to be unsure of how to respond. Not that she needed to answer. If she had been out after hours, it would have been after moon rise, since the sun was setting so early this time of year. The early moonrise made things more difficult for his friends, because they had to _entertain_ the wolf to postpone their foray outdoors, until everyone would be safely inside the castle. Remus had figured that was the reason for the bruise on his side, but maybe…

"I don't know exactly," she said. "Why are you looking at me like that, Remus?"

He swallowed slowly. "I can't believe that you would let yourself be out of bounds like that," he said.

Lindi looked crestfallen. Apparently she had thought he would think it was amusing that she had been out of bounds. "Well, that's a bit rich after what happened at the Cove. Besides, you and your friends apparently sneak out all the time," she said defensively.

"Don't get me wrong, Lindi," he said. "It's not about breaking curfew; it's about being out in the dark all alone. I'm just really surprised that _you_ would do something like that."

She smirked in amusement. "Oh…I see. Because you _do _think I'm a coward, don't you?"

"What? No, no of course I don't; it's just that you…well, you were so reluctant to go into the forest and then the tunnel passageway…"

"Well, that's different, Remus," she said. "There are—_things_ in there. I know I'm afraid of a lot of _things_, but I'm not really afraid of the _dark_. Besides, the moon was so bright, it was almost like daylight."

_Of course it was bright_…_It was full moon! __Damn it_!

_But if she was flying, the wolf wouldn't have been able to get to her, even if he had been out at the same time._ "Were you in the air the whole time?" he asked. He knew it was a rather odd question, but he needed to know.

"Well, yes, except when I was sitting in the pitch stands to warm up a bit," she said, looking at him curiously. "Why?"

_Craap!_ She had been in the pitch stands. She could _not_ do that again. The wolf could climb the stairs. He would be stealthy, stalking his prey. Remus shivered. But Padfoot and Prongs wouldn't let him near her, or at the very least, they would make so much noise, she would have a chance to get on her broom and fly away. Remus absently rubbed the tender place on his side. Was that why Prongs had rammed him? Had the wolf smelled her on the air and made a dash to get away? _Oh, God_…

He looked out over the glistening snow towards the Whomping Willow. Its bare branches were swaying menacingly.

"There are things in the dark that you _should_ be afraid of, Lindi," he said quietly. "Promise me you won't go out of the castle after hours again." He turned and stared her in the eyes.

Whether from the intensity of his gaze, or the embarrassment at being chastised, however delicately, she flushed and looked down at her hands.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," he said gently.

She still wouldn't look up at him, but he could see the corners of her mouth curling slightly.

"Can I go out in the dark so long as you and your friends are there to _protect_ me?" she asked facetiously.

With a sense of relief, he realized that she was _teasing_ him now. So, he hadn't offended her too badly.

"Yes, I suppose that would be all right," he said lightly.

She finally looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Are you secretly a chauvinist, Remus?"

Remus knew she was joking, but thought she might think there was a bit of truth to it. "I am not," he assured her pleasantly. "But I am a realist…" _Well, most of the time,_ he thought. He wasn't sure how realistic he was being when he fantasized about his relationship with her… "And before you think otherwise, I don't even think James or Sirius should be out alone either. Not _these_ days. We look out for one another when we're out. We cover each other's backs."

"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked more soberly.

He considered throwing out the Sirius pun, but decided to maintain the gravity of the conversation. He really wanted to make his point. "Yes, I am very serious. I'm not trying to frighten you…well, actually, I guess I am. I don't want you to live in fear, Lindi, but you _do_ need to appreciate the dangers out here." He waved his hand at the world in general. He knew he wasn't the only thing out there that was dangerous. But if _he_ ever hurt her…Just the thought made bile rise in his throat. "Promise me you'll be more careful."

"All right, I promise," she said softly. She hugged herself tightly and rubbed her arms. Had she been chilled by their conversation or simply from the cold?

"We should go back inside," he said.

Warm air greeted them as they entered the castle. It could be rather drafty in the corridors, but compared to the chill of the late November night air, it felt welcoming and cozy. They started back towards the Library in silence. Remus kept thinking about Lindi flying around at the full moon. It occurred to him that she could have easily been spotted from the castle. Also, how had she gotten back inside without being caught?

"You know, I'm surprised you weren't caught, if the night was as bright as you say it was," he said inquisitively. "And how did you get back inside?"

Lindi got a very devious grin on her face. "I forgot to tell you that part when you started yelling at me," she teased.

"I wasn't _yelling_ at you," he said.

"Oh really, I thought you were, _Mr. Prefect_," she said flirtatiously. His chest felt like something was going to explode out of it when she smiled. "Anyway, when I realized it was after curfew, I disillusioned myself so no one could see me and then…"

"You can do a Disillusionment Charm?" he interrupted, amazed. He knew she was _very_ bright, she was a Ravenclaw, after all. But she was so—_behind_ in DADA. It sometimes surprised him to be reminded of how good she was at some of the other subjects. It just went to show how different the various types of magic were.

"Yes, I figured it out just last week," she said proudly. "Then, when I was ready to go in, I flew up to Ravenclaw Tower, and tried to open the window to my room, but there must be locking charms protecting them from being opened from the outside, because it wouldn't open. I had to fly around until Leanna finally came to the room and let me in. I thought I was going to freeze."

Remus shook his head. "That's quite impressive, Lindi. We'll make a Marauder out of you yet."

She laughed. "Thanks, but you know you have about as much chance of that as making me an Auror." He didn't tell her, but he had to agree. Still, she could go marauding with them from time to time.

They finally climbed the last flight of stairs to the Library. They returned to their books and picked up studying where they had left off. For a few minutes, Remus felt wide awake. The cool air and the shock of learning Lindi had been out at the full moon had revived him, _temporarily_. But the quiet of the Library, the soft murmur of voices all around him, pages being turned gently—all sounds that were comforting to him—made him drowsy again. Soon he was fighting the urge to lay his head on the desk and close his eyes. And the yawns returned. He knew it was time to say goodnight. As badly as he wanted to stay, he knew he would soon be face down, drooling on her notes.

"Remus, you really need to go to bed," she said softly.

He agreed, reluctantly, and after gathering up his things, he wished her a good night. As he started to walk into the corridor, he glanced back over his shoulder to the table they had shared. He felt a little shock of excitement when he saw that she was watching him.

He couldn't get over how lovely she was. He could hardly believe she had only just turned sixteen. She looked more like _twenty_ sitting there in the golden torch light. Well, she did until she jerked her eyes away and looked quickly down at her book, obviously embarrassed at being caught watching a _friend_ leave. He turned, smiling to himself. She really was a _Sweet _Sixteen.

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In Charms the next morning, Professor Flitwick informed Remus that they would still be holding the first Dueling Club meet the following Thursday evening. Professor Adamson would normally officiate, but under the circumstances, that duty would fall to Professor Flitwick himself. Remus decided he would need to schedule a special practice for Tuesday afternoon.

And just as Remus had predicted, at dinner that evening, Professor Dumbledore announced that they had a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor.

"You are very fortunate to have the opportunity to study under one of the finest masters of Defense Against the Dark Arts I have ever had the good fortune of knowing. Professor Merrythought…" The Headmaster gestured to an absolutely ancient looking witch who was seated next to Professor McGonagall at the staff table. Remus thought she looked so frail it would be surprising that she could lift a wand. "…has kindly conceded to come out of a very long retirement to give you the benefit of her experience."

"Looks like she conceded to come out of the grave," said Peter, in an undertone.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Professor," Professor Dumbledore said, offering a round of applause which the students politely joined.

Professor Merrythought did not stand, but lifted her hand in acknowledgement. Remus wondered if she was able to lift herself out of the chair, and whether they would be receiving very much practical instruction. But by the end of their first DADA class with the old witch, his fears were allayed. She might have looked frail, but she was quite adept with her wand. Remus chastised himself for ever doubting that Professor Dumbledore would provide them a good instructor, when Professor Merrythought reduced an attacking, charmed suit of armor to a puddle of molten steel.

Their new DADA professor couldn't have been more stylistically different from the old. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been through numerous conflicts in her long life, including the dark times of Grindlewald, but she taught as though she had nothing to prove. Her criticism was never personal, and was always meant only to correct each student. She was neither overly friendly nor harsh, but professional, in a pleasant fashion. Remus liked her immediately. He was happy to hear that Lindi was pleased with their new instructor as well.

"She reminds me of you, Remus. I don't mind when she tells me I'm doing it wrong because she doesn't try to make me feel like an idiot," Lindi said as she helped him organize the scoring cards for their practice meet on Tuesday afternoon. "Between you and Professor Merrythought, I think I really have a chance at scraping the O.W.L. on my retest. I just wish she'd let me out of this meet." Lindi gave a heavy sigh. "I wonder if I should ask her."

Remus finished straightening the last stack of cards. How was he going to tell her this without infuriating her? Of course, she was likely to be so relieved that it wouldn't occur to her to be angry. He hoped that would be the case. He turned to her and took a breath.

"You don't need to ask her, Lindi," he said.

She looked at him and seemed to deflate even more. "Did you already ask her?" she asked miserably. "I'm sorry, Remus. I hate that I'm going to ruin your chances of winning."

Remus smiled sweetly. "No, that isn't it. I didn't have to ask her. You were never going to have to compete," he said cautiously.

"What do you mean?" she asked, befuddled.

"Professor Adamson said you didn't have to."

"Really?" she squeaked.

Remus nodded and Lindi seemed to gasp for air. "Honestly?" she asked, unable to accept her good fortune. Remus smiled and nodded again.

"Ohhh!" Lindi cried and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, thank goodness!"

Remus circled his arms around her waist. He remembered the last time she had hugged him, when she had finally managed to disarm him. Of course, that had been out of excitement, and included bobbing up and down. He smiled at the memory, and at the way she was pressed tightly against him, this time out of profound relief. It was _very _nice, but it didn't last long.

Lindi pulled back slowly and looked into his face, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean I was _never _going to have to compete?"

_Uh-oh, here it comes_. _You should have just let her think you asked Professor Merrythought, you idiot!_ But he already had to lie to her about too much. He didn't want a relationship built on so many lies. He was actually relieved that his first instinct hadn't been to deceive her. Still, he knew she wasn't going to like this, so he might as well get it out of the way.

"Professor Adamson never intended for you to actually compete," he said. "He just wanted you to _think_ you would have to, so you would work harder."

Lindi blinked, gawking at him. "How long have you known this?"

_Oh boy_. "I've known it all along," he said gently.

"What?" she gasped. "And you went along with him?"

"I'm sorry, Lindi," he said. "But he insisted that I not tell you, and to be honest, I think it has been very good incentive for you. I think you needed all the incentive you could get."

She sputtered and gasped, blinking up at him. "I can't believe you," she said. "I thought we were _friends_."

"We are," he said, smiling weakly. "That's why I did what I did. I thought it was best."

"For me to know I was going to make a complete fool of myself in front of the whole school?" she said, completely incredulous.

He smiled sympathetically. "I knew you weren't going to, and you haven't acted like it was something you thought about a lot. I wouldn't have let you suffer if I thought you were."

"Well, of course I haven't. I've tried to block it out of my consciousness!" she said. "Plus, I didn't know the first meet was coming up. I thought it was next term! But I've been frantic the past couple of days!"

"I'm sorry," he said. He couldn't help grinning at her mounting hysteria.

"Why are you smiling?" she cried. "I can not _believe _you."

But he couldn't stop.

"Stop it, Remus," she said, and she slapped him lightly on the arm, but he could see her biting her lip to stop herself grinning.

This, of course, only made him smile wider.

"All this time, I trusted you." She slapped his arm again.

Merlin, she was adorable.

"I thought you were so nice!" Another slap. "But you are absolutely wicked!"

She pulled her hand back, yet again. But this time, he grabbed her wrist before she could make contact with his arm, and pulled her close. She looked up at him giggling rather breathlessly. He had never been so turned on in his entire life. His heart was pounding dangerously. He nearly cursed out loud when the sounds of people twisting the knob on the door made her turn, and pull back from him.

_Gawd blimey_! Why couldn't he catch a break? He could not stand it anymore.

"Lindi," he said, still clutching her wrist. She looked back at him, but he hesitated as three of his younger team members walked in, glancing over at them curiously. Remus wondered what it must have looked like, with him holding onto Lindi's raised hand. From the wide eyed looks on their faces, they might have thought Lindi had been trying to slap him in earnest instead of in jest. He wanted to tell them to bugger off, but Lindi turned to them smiling awkwardly, pulling her hand free. The youngsters moved on into the room and took seats on the cushions against the far wall.

The brief distraction had given him time to reconsider what he had been about to do. But he wouldn't change his mind. It was time. He really couldn't stand it anymore.

"Lindi, I was wondering if you might like to…" Remus swallowed before going on. "Do you think you might like to go into Hogsmeade with me next week?" _There_, he had said it. Now, he held his breath.

Lindi stood staring at him, blank-faced for a moment. Surely he hadn't caught her _that _off guard. She wasn't stupid. She had to have known this was coming…He waited.

"Oh, er, I—I'm sorry, but I can't, Remus," she said awkwardly. His stomach sank into his feet. "I already have plans to go with my friends. It's Constance's birthday. She'll be seventeen, so it's a really big one, and we're having a little surprise tea party for her at Madame Puddifoot's. That's her favorite place." Lindi's face was drawn somewhat anxiously.

_Bloody hell_! Why did Constance have to have a birthday now? Remus thought there must be some sort of conspiracy to keep him and Lindi apart. Maybe he was cursed! But, she hadn't said she _didn't want_ to go with him. Maybe he should ask for another time. Or was that relief on Lindi's face, instead of anxiety? Was she relieved that she had an excuse not to go with him?

Remus smiled tightly. "Well, maybe another time." He could barely get the words out through the disappointment tightening in his chest. "I better get ready for practice."

He turned and started towards the waiting students.

"Remus," Lindi called after him. She was still standing in the same spot, a conflicted look on her face. She opened her mouth a couple of times before she finally managed to utter a word. "Erm…I, er…well, maybe…if the party…I mean, I doubt the party will last all day. Maybe I'll run into you at the Three Broomsticks afterwards. You know, if you're not already doing something else by then, we could get a butterbeer or something."

Remus felt the disappointment loosening its grip on his chest. It wasn't an actual date, but from the way she was acting, as if she might faint on the spot, he knew it was more than two _friends _saying they might see each other somewhere. It was a tentative plan to _meet up_, as_ more _than friends.

"That would be _good_," he said, his stomach flipping. "Maybe we could walk back together."

She smiled nervously. "Yeah, that sounds—_good_."

"_Good_," he said again, starting to feel like a complete fool. _Get a grip, Remus. It isn't even a confirmed date_. But he couldn't help himself. He knew that if it actually happened, that walk back to Hogwarts could, and most likely _would_ include a kiss good night. And he knew _she_ knew it as well, from the way she was blushing.

Oh, he could not wait until next weekend!


	31. Piling Straw on a Camel's Back

**Chapter 31: Piling Straw on a Camel's Back**

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The practice meet on Tuesday was a smashing success, and Remus was really looking forward to the actual competition later in the week. His team had never looked better. Now, whether it was because they were all spot on with their spell work or because he was looking at life through a filter of sheer bliss, Remus wouldn't have been able to say. He might have been overly optimistic about the team. He was feeling pretty optimistic about life in general at the moment, due to the fact that Lindi had finally made a _tentative_ concession to move beyond mere friendship. Yes, things looked very good…at least within the confines of the castle walls.

But his moment of bliss was to be short-lived. The darkness that had been steadily brewing outside the walls of the Hogwarts grounds was finally boiling over, and began to seep into their safe haven.

On the morning of the Dueling meet, Remus sat eating his breakfast when his copy of _The Daily Prophet_ arrived. One glance at the front page, and he knew something horrible had happened. The world had changed. The entire page was covered with an image of mass chaos. Wizards were scrambling about rounding people up, Muggles from the looks of their clothing. The Muggles were staring up at the sky looking frightened and confused. Many of the wizards looked unnerved as well. It wasn't hard to see why. Remus felt a chill course through his veins when he looked at the image hovering in the night sky. A massive, eerily glowing skull stared grotesquely off of the page. A giant serpent protruded from its opened mouth. The snake writhed across the sky above a fine, large house, silently casting its glow upon the building. In large print across the paper was the headline, _The Dark Mark_.

The remainder of his breakfast was forgotten as Remus opened the paper to the second page. With a sense of profound foreboding, he began to read the article under the headline:

**_Is Lord Voldemort Responsible for Striking Terror into the_ _Heart of the Ministry of Magic_?**

_Late last night, the home of Honorius Philburn, member of the Wizengamot, was attacked by assailants believed to be in the service of Lord Voldemort. Philburn and three family members were found dead, along with two others, who it is believed were meeting with Philburn to discuss legislation currently under consideration by the Wizengamot. The identities of the two other victims have not being released, pending notification of family members._

_While there has been increasing speculation that Lord Voldemort and his supporters are behind the rash of attacks and Muggle tortures that have been occurring in all too frequent intervals, this is the first time anyone has claimed responsibility. Calling themselves the Death Eaters, the group seems to be gaining in confidence and strength. But, who are the Death Eaters, and are they in the service of Lord Voldemort?_

_For months now, attacks have been carried out in complete anonymity, leaving investigators with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to try and link the crimes or decide if they are unrelated. But, if the previous crimes are related to last nights events, it is obvious that the Death Eaters now want everyone to know they are responsible, while still keeping their personal identities hidden, of course. _

_Ministry Obliviator, Orrin Muddleford had this to say last night at the scene:_

"_They aren't working in secrecy anymore, that's for sure. Just look at that." (Muddleford indicates the giant skull and serpent that was left at the scene, which Ministry officials have dubbed The Dark Mark.) "That's some calling card. These Death Eaters want people to know they are behind this. It will take us hours to round up all the Muggles and modify their memories," said Muddleford. "And that's after they get rid of the bloody thing (the Dark Mark). They're having a hell of a time getting it to vanish." _

_In fact, it took more than three hours for the spell to dissipate. Ministry officials finally had to resort to placing obscuring wards around the entire vicinity to block the massive image from even more Muggle witnesses. _

_Whether there is proof of Lord Voldemort's complicity in the attack is as yet unconfirmed. However, in a brief statement made by Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, it was confirmed that the perpetrators left a message for the Ministry, in addition to the Dark Mark. In the message, they claim the name Death Eaters, and warned of similar attacks on those who "stand in the way of the purification of the wizarding race." _

_It should be noted that Mr. Philburn was instrumental in winning the recent fight to prevent passage of legislation that would have classified Muggles as beasts. This would explain why he was a target of the group._

"_Honorius was a fine and dedicated member of the Wizengamot. He was a champion for the rights of all beings. His loss is a loss to the entire magical community," said Griselda Marchbanks, spokesperson for the Wizengamot._

Remus scanned to the bottom of the article. The rest was filled with praise for the murdered man and his family, and a request for information leading to the identities of the so called Death Eaters responsible.

"Look at this," he said, handing the paper across the table to James. Sirius and Peter leaned in to read over James shoulders.

Remus glanced around the Great Hall while his friends read. A number of others were also looking at copies of the _Daily Prophet_, many of them showing the image blazing on the front page to their housemates. Remus had noticed over the past year or so, that more and more of the students had taken subscriptions to the paper. While most still remained fairly oblivious to the goings on in the outside world, a fair number, particularly of the older students, had obviously started paying attention to what was going on.

But Remus knew that after such a prominent member of the community had been attacked, and the Death Eaters had become so brazen, it would be hard to ignore the war being waged outside the walls of Hogwarts. If only the Aurors could get proof to link Lord Voldemort to the crimes, surely they could apprehend him. Everyone _knew_ he was the one behind the Death Eaters. But he seemed so elusive and his background so mysterious, as were the Death Eaters themselves. How could they do such horrible things and not be found out? Clearly, they were very skilled in the Dark Arts and deception. Not to mention, it was probably fair to assume that they must be pure-bloods. How hard could it be to narrow them down? _There aren't that many pure-bloods left._

Remus instinctively glanced behind him to the Slytherin table. Was he just imagining it, or did they seem to be more relaxed than the rest of the school? But he wasn't imagining the sniggering coming from the group huddled around Julian Avery, who was holding his own copy of the morning paper. _How can anyone think that is funny?_ Remus wondered. His stomach squirmed nauseously at the thought, just as Julian looked up and caught his eye. Julian cast an icy grin that made Remus' skin crawl, but Remus couldn't make himself turn away. Soon, Evan and Severus were turning to look at Remus, smirking too. Could they really be that cold-hearted?

Remus finally turned away when Phil Michaelson sat down heavily beside him.

"Gawd, what a night," Phil groaned.

"What's wrong?" asked Remus.

"I don't think I want to be Head Boy anymore," said Phil, wearily.

"Does it have something to do with _this_?" asked James, holding up the front page of the _Prophet_.

Phil nodded. "I just had to watch Brian Dolan learn that his dad was one of the men killed last night."

_Oh no, it's started_, thought Remus miserably.

"Dolan—is he that fourth year Hufflepuff on your Dueling team?" asked James.

"Yeah, he's a really good kid. _Gawd,_ I hate all this," said Phil, running his hands through his hair. "Poor Emmeline, she had to help deal with Hilda Mullens and her younger sister Laura. And Hilda is Em's best friend."

"Hilda's dad was the other one?" asked Peter.

"No, it was her older brother, Hollister. Remember him?" asked Phil. "He was seventh year when you lot started. He was Philburn's personal aide, real bright fellow."

"Is Emmeline still with Hilda?" asked Remus.

"Nah, Hilda and Laura left to go home," said Phil. "Em is probably still in Dumbledore's office. Flitwick was with her. She held it together for Hilda's sake, but she's pretty upset herself. She's been to the Mullens' house loads of times. I think she and Hollister might have had a thing, but she never said." Phil sighed wearily.

Silence enveloped the young men, as each fell into his own thoughts. Remus glanced around the hall again. While many of the students seemed intrigued and even concerned by the tragedy reported in the Daily Prophet, it was obvious that most were still unaware of how close to home it was about to hit. He wondered when Brian and the Mullens sisters had been notified, and how Professor Dumbledore had kept it from the other students in their houses. They must have taken them from their rooms in the night, while their roommates slept. Remus' heart ached for them. What a horrible thing to be awakened for.

The Headmaster came through the door from the antechamber, and walked around the staff table to the podium. His usual vibrancy seemed to have dulled a bit. He looked tired; the twinkle usually visible from behind his half-moon spectacles was replaced by a steely seriousness seldom seen there.

"May I have your attention, please," Professor Dumbledore said in his firm, booming voice. Silence fell immediately, as though the students had been waiting for an announcement. "By now, I'm sure that many of you have read of the horrible crime committed last night. For those of you who have not, Honorius Philburn, member of the Wizengamot, and a personal friend of mine, was murdered with his wife Mabel, and their two grown children, Jared and Prudence, at their home in London. There were two others killed as well and I am saddened to announce that they were relatives of two of your school mates. Adam Dolan, father of Brian Dolan of Hufflepuff—"

The students at the Hufflepuff table gasped and murmured, some covering their mouths with their hands, others their eyes.

"And Hollister Mullens, brother of Hilda and Laura Mullens of Ravenclaw—"

The gasping and muffled sobs now came from the Ravenclaw table. Remus looked toward Lindi. Leanna had buried her face in her hands, and Lindi was rubbing her back to comfort her. Lindi's jaw was clamped tightly in an obvious attempt to bite back tears that were forming in her wide eyes, as she stared, horrified at Professor Dumbledore.

"Some of you older students will remember Hollister from when he was a prefect and Head Boy here at Hogwarts. He was a fine, upstanding young man." Professor Dumbledore looked around the room solemnly. "These were all good and decent people, and they are dead at the hands of the cruel and cowardly who hide behind masks and dark marks in the air. This is truly a sad day for us all. In light of this, classes are suspended for today. Also, the Dueling Club tournament scheduled for this afternoon is postponed. I would ask that you think of Brian, Hilda, Laura, and their families. They will return when they are ready, and I know you will do your best to help them through this difficult time."

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The following days were somber inside the castle. The mood seemed to mirror the drizzly grey sky reflected in the ceiling of the Great Hall. But as the days passed, things slowly started to get back to normal for the students. Life went on. Brian and Hilda returned after a week, looking tired and glum.

Remus had a chance to talk with Emmeline during a prefects meeting. She had been able to attend Hollister's funeral, and while still very sad, she seemed to be holding up well.

"Laura stayed home for a few extra days," she told Remus. "But she's handling it pretty well. They all are really, except I'm a little worried about Mrs. Mullens. I thought she was going to collapse; she got so upset when Henry, the youngest, mentioned something about Lord Voldemort. It was as if she thought just saying his name was going to bring doom on the rest of the family. We had to brew a Calming Draught for her."

"Do they have information that Lord Voldemort is really behind it?" asked Remus. "Because the _Daily Prophet_ is reporting that there still isn't any proof."

"As far as I could tell, they didn't have any kind of Ministry confirmation," said Emmeline. She leaned in closer to Remus and lowered her voice. "But Henry told me and Hilda that he overheard some things when Hollister was home last. Apparently their mum got in a huge row with him about some group he'd gotten involved with that is trying to stop Voldemort. Henry said his mum threw a nutter, and told Hollister that it was the Aurors job to track him down_, if_ he was the one responsible. But Hollister told her the Ministry was going to drag its heels until the only ones left to run it were pure-bloods, and that there was no _if _to it, that everyone _knew_ Voldemort was behind it all, even if the _Daily Prophet_ never got around to saying so."

"Did he say what the group Hollister joined was?" asked Remus.

"No, but," Emmeline paused and looked around warily. She leaned in even closer and whispered. "He said Hollister mentioned Dumbledore was involved."

"Professor Dumbledore?"

Emmeline nodded. "I'm going to ask him about it at our next Advanced DADA session. I want to join."

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After he finished his prefect rounds, Remus headed back to his dormitory and relayed his conversation with Emmeline to his friends.

"I bet Dumbledore's running it," said James, excitedly.

"When would he have time to hunt down a lot of dark wizards? He's always here," asked Peter.

"He _doesn't_ have time; that's why he needs a group," said Sirius, thoughtfully. "He'll be directing the others to hunt down the bloody Death Eaters."

"But he's a teacher; he runs a school," said Peter.

"Yes, but he's also the one who brought down Grindelwald, remember?" said James. "And how do we know he's always here?"

"Good point," said Peter.

"I think Hollister was right," said Sirius. "I don't have a lot of confidence in the way the Ministry's handling all this, either. From the sounds of it, they should have been after this Voldemort a long time ago."

"I think they realize that now. I have a feeling that's why we have a new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," said Remus. "It was announced Monday."

"Crouch is all business," said James. "He's been to my house a few times. Maybe he'll get them straightened out."

"I'd still feel better knowing Dumbledore was running things," said Sirius. "I think Vance has a good idea. I might volunteer myself."

"Are you serious?" asked Peter.

Sirius grinned slyly.

"Ah, please don't say it," groaned Peter.

"I think we _should_ ask him about it," said James, ignoring the close call with the Sirius pun. "I wonder when our next session will be."

"It should be soon; we haven't had one in a while," said Remus. "But I wouldn't expect him to say yes to letting us join."

"Why not?" asked James. "I bet they could use all the help they can get."

"That's probably true," said Remus. "But I don't see how we could be much help while we're in school. Besides, I don't think Professor Dumbledore would allow students to get involved. He's responsible for us, and I think he'd want fully qualified wizards for something like this."

"We already know more than most of the berks they have working at the ministry," said Sirius.

"That's true," agreed James. "Anyway, I'd like to know what he's up to at any rate, and it doesn't hurt to ask."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "Let's do it," he said. "Speaking of asking, I asked McGonagall if our Hogsmeade trip was still on for this weekend. She said we'd still get to go, but the curfew would be moved up even earlier."

"How much earlier?" asked Remus. If it was too much earlier, Lindi wouldn't have time to have Constance's party, and still meet him for a butterbeer. _Don't tell me something else is going to go wrong._ He felt a pang of guilt at his selfishness. With all that had happened, he probably shouldn't be so concerned about a butterbeer with Lindi. But he just couldn't help it. After all, he was young and life did go on.

"Three o'clock," said Sirius. "So we need to figure out what we're going to do Saturday night."

Remus didn't pay very much attention to the planning for Saturday evening. He was too busy trying to decide if a three o'clock curfew was going to leave him enough time. Also, he wasn't sure he wanted to make plans for the evening. He really hoped he wouldn't be available. He rather hoped his butterbeer and walk back to the castle with Lindi might lead to _something_ the two of them might do together, _without_ his friends.

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Saturday morning broke cold and dreary, but the weather couldn't dampen Remus' excitement for the day. Once he had awakened, there was no sense lying in bed. He wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so he quietly arose and made his way to the bathroom to shower while his friends had a lie in, then went on down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

He didn't expect to run into many people this early on a Saturday, but there was always a smidgeon of hope that Lindi might be there. He would love a chance to talk to her before she left for her party at Madam Puddifoot's, to see how she acted around him. It might help him gauge his chance of actually seeing her later. He had seen very little of her since the tragedies of last week. Most people had kept more to their own common rooms, even more so than normal, himself and Lindi included.

But when he had seen her at Dueling Club practice on Thursday, she had still been planning to go into Hogsmeade, and the girls had not cancelled Constance's party.

"Emmeline said we should go ahead with it," Lindi had told him. "She said she and Hilda were going to come, at least for a little while. It'll be good for Hilda; I think…I hope so anyway. Like Professor Dumbledore said, we can't let all this stop us living, right? That's why he's still letting us go, don't you think?"

"Yes," Remus had agreed. "But I think they will be very strict in enforcing the curfew this time."

"Are you still planning to go?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "If your party is over early enough, I'm supposed to buy you a butterbeer, remember? If you want to…I do owe you one from last summer." He tried to sound nonchalant, so it didn't seem like he was pressing her.

A little of the color drained from Lindi's face. She gave a nervous little chuckle. "Yeah, that's right…well, you don't _owe_ me one…but yeah, we are supposed to have one, aren't we? But you don't need to buy it. I think I'm the one who suggested it—maybe I should buy," she said in a slightly higher pitch than normal. She was rambling very fast, the way she tended to do when she was nervous, and he couldn't get a word in. "That would only be fair, since I'm the one who mentioned it. I don't expect you to buy—"

"Lindi," he interrupted her rambling. "I owe you one from last summer. But if you insist, we can always have more than one. We may have to drink it on our way back to the castle, though, unless the party is over early enough." The truth was, he _wanted_ to buy. Maybe he did have a touch of the chauvinist in him, but he liked to think it was proper manners, from a gentlemanly upbringing. Besides, it made things a little more like a _real date_.

But the thought of the walk back seemed to drain the color from her face further, and she chuckled even more nervously. What on earth was she so worried about? He hadn't been nearly this anxious when he had finally worked up the nerve to ask Emmeline to that Valentine's dance in fourth year, and they hadn't even been good friends. Remus knew it sounded awful, but he had to agree that Sirius might be right. Lindi was in bad need of a good snogging, if only to prove that the world wouldn't come to an end. His heart started to race again as he considered how close he was to getting to be the one to prove it to her. Then again, if she was this nervous, she might not show up…

So it was with some disappointment that Remus arrived in the Great Hall to discover that Lindi wasn't there. But Lily was, and she waved him over to join her.

"Morning, Remus," she said. "You're up awfully early. Weren't you and your friends out wreaking havoc on anyone last night?"

Remus gave her a droll smirk. "We decided to behave ourselves," he said.

"_Really_?" she asked playfully. "I didn't think Potter and Black knew how. You must finally be rubbing off on them. It took long enough."

"Well, don't expect it to be permanent," Remus said, smiling.

"Oh, I wouldn't. Even McGonagall couldn't perform a transformation that miraculous," she grinned. "Well, guess what?"

"What?" Remus asked, lowering his spoonful of porridge back to the bowl.

"Mum and Dad said I can come to your house," Lily said brightly. "So long as Lindi does, of course…I hope Rosmerta will let her." Lily looked mildly doubtful. "If the Death Eaters are still on the loose by then, she might not want Lindi to go anywhere."

Remus frowned. Lily had a good point. "But your parents aren't too worried about it?" he asked. After all, Lily was Muggle-born. He would think that they would be more concerned for Lily's safety than Rosmerta would for Lindi's.

"Oh, they don't know anything about it," Lily said. "I don't want them to worry. Dad hasn't been well, and all this wouldn't be good for him."

"Well, are you sure you want to spend time away, then?" asked Remus.

"Oh, it isn't like he's dying or something. His blood pressure has been up, that's all. I think it might be Petunia's engagement. I told you how obnoxious Vernon is, didn't I?" Lily made that disgusted face again. Remus nodded, trying not to laugh. Having your daughter engaged to someone who was bad enough to raise your blood pressure must be a terrible thing. "Besides, it will only be for a couple of days, and it will be better for Dad's blood pressure if we aren't all in the house together any longer than we have to be. So, we need to help Lindi talk Rosmerta into letting her go. Are the two of you going into Hogsmeade together?" Lily looked at him hopefully.

"No, she has a party to go to. Her friend Constance is seventeen today," Remus explained. "But she said she might come to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer afterwards, if there's still time."

Lily looked like she was ready to say something, but stopped. She was distracted by something. "Isn't that your father?" she asked, looking at the entrance.

Richard Lupin was standing just outside the double doors, talking with Professor McGonagall. Remus had been looking forward to his dad's visit, but he hadn't expected it today. Any other day, Remus would have been thrilled to see his dad, and he _was_ happy to see him, even today. But part of him worried that his father might be planning to spend the _entire_ day together. He really didn't want to have butterbeer with Lindi _and_ _his dad_. Of course, all Remus needed to do was explain that he had plans. Dad would definitely understand. And maybe he was only there for the morning. Remus had plenty of time to visit while Lindi was at Madam Puddifoot's. _Stop worrying about it, Remus_. He knew he needed to relax and stop expecting something to get in the way of his tentative _date_ with Lindi. If it happened it happened; if not, it wasn't the end of the world. There would be other opportunities.

But he _really_ wanted it to happen.

Professor McGonagall left his father and Dad turned and scanned the room, looking for his son. When he spotted Remus, he waved and came towards them. Remus stood to greet him.

"Hello, Remus," he said. "How are you, son?"

"Good, Dad," Remus said, shaking his father's hand. "Dad, you remember Lily Evans."

"Hello, Lily, good to see you again."

"You too, Mr. Lupin."

"Am I interrupting your breakfast?" he asked Remus.

Remus was halfway through his bowl of porridge, so his father sat down with them while they ate. They talked about his father's latest jobs, the pending birth of the thestral colt, and the litter of Crups.

Finally, Remus was finished with his breakfast, and he could tell Dad had something he wanted to talk to him about.

"Well, Lily, I hope we get to see you over the holiday," said Dad.

"So do I, Mr. Lupin," Lily smiled. "Tell Mrs. Lupin I said hello."

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Remus met his father in the entrance hall after retrieving his winter cloak and scarf, and the two of them walked out onto the grounds together. Thick grey clouds threatened rain, so they wouldn't walk far. They passed around the castle and sat on a boulder at the base of the cliffs overlooking the lake, and Dad wasted no time in getting to the point.

"Well, I have orders to get the gen on Lindi," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Remus shook his head, smiling. He knew Mum would think something was going on when he told her he'd invited Lindi. "Of all the girls you could invite home…" Dad shook his head with a chuckle. "Are you trying to give your mum fits, Remus?"

"No," Remus said, a little embarrassed at the teasing.

"Well, you _are_," Dad chuckled again. "So, what do I tell her? She'll have my blood if I come back without something."

Remus thought back to the conversation he had had with Mum on the train ride from Hogsmeade…he could still see the look on her face when he had told her he hadn't shagged anyone. He smiled at the memory. Apparently Mum _hadn't_ learned her lesson, though this time she had thought to send Dad to do her dirty work for her. He blushed when he thought of what he'd _like_ Dad to tell her.

"What would she do if you told her we're planning to elope, and spend the honeymoon at your house, shagging ourselves silly?" Remus asked jokingly, his face going very hot. _You've been around James and Sirius _way_ too much_. But he'd like to see Mum's face when she heard _that_, though he'd never be able to say it in front of _her_. "Do you think that would get her to stop prying?"

Dad laughed. "That _might_ do it," he said. "But I don't want to be the one to tell her. I have to live with her, you know."

"Then tell her the truth. Lindi and I are _friends_. She's on my Dueling team and we get along well," Remus said frankly.

"I see," said Dad. He gave Remus a discerning glance. "So I can tell her you aren't dating the fifteen year-old _vixen _you've invited to our home."

"She's _sixteen _now, and no, I have not gone out with her. At the moment, I'm not dating _anyone_, so tell Mum to stop worrying," Remus assured him.

Dad smiled shrewdly. He knew his son well enough to know how Remus could use the _literal _truth to his advantage. "At the _moment_," his father repeated. "I'll tell her."

He stared at Remus, as if waiting to see if there was more. But how did he tell his dad that Lindi was driving him insane, or that he had asked her out, and she had said no, but that he still had hopes that they were going to get together? He didn't want his father to think he was pathetic. It was bad enough for Sirius, James, and Peter to think so, or Sirius, at least. If he told Dad about the prospect for this afternoon, would it jinx it? If it didn't work out, he'd be even more embarrassed. It was time to change the subject.

"So, I know you didn't come all this way to get information on my nonexistent love life," Remus said.

"No, I didn't," Dad smiled, then turned much more serious. "I have a meeting with Dumbledore later this morning. And there is something I wanted to tell you in person."

A sense of dread washed over Remus. Whatever this was, he got the feeling it wasn't anything good.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked.

"Fenrir Greyback is being released from Azkaban next week," Dad said soberly.

Remus sat stunned. It felt like the bottom had fallen out of his stomach. He always tried not to think about the man—the _beast_—who had so drastically altered his life. Knowing Greyback was safely behind the walls of Azkaban prison had always made it easier to set aside the feelings of anger and bitterness. Remus had known for several years that Greyback's incarceration was temporary, but somehow, this day had sneaked up on him.

And why did it have to come on _this _day? This was supposed to be such a good day.

"Remus?" his dad asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Remus said dully, staring out across the lake. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, son," Dad said quietly. "I wish you didn't have to know, but I think you needed to. I'd hate for you to read about it in the _Prophet_, or God forbid, run into him somewhere."

_Run into him? _The very thought made his stomach roil. Ever since he had learned about the real circumstances behind his bite, Remus had feared the day he came face to face with the one responsible. It had been so much easier to believe that he had been the victim of an unfortunate accident. But when he was eleven and Greyback had finally been brought to trial, Dad had told him the truth. That had been an awful day. It was the only time Remus could remember ever seeing his father cry.

"_It was my fault, Remus. I—" Dad's voice had cracked. "I should have realized he would make me pay for insulting him. That's the kind of _person _he is. But you are the one who has had to pay…I'm so sorry."_

"_He did this to me because you—because you _insulted _him?" _

_Mum's quiet sobs had grown louder._

"_What could you have possibly said to him to make him so upset?" Remus had asked. He had always known his father to be such a kind and civil person._

"_You have to understand what he was like, Remus. He is everything that makes people fear and—" Dad's voice broke again. Remus could finish his sentence for him, fear and _hate_ werewolves. "He went around getting in peoples faces, growling at them, flaunting the fact that he was capable of hurting them. He wanted people to think he was a monster. But they weren't allowed to say so."_

"_And you called him a monster?" Remus asked quietly._

"_Worse," said Dad wearily. "I called him an _animal_." Dad looked sorrowfully at the floor. "I told him if he continued to act like an animal, someone would eventually put him in a cage where he belonged."_

And so Remus' entire life had been irrevocably altered at the age of four and a half, because his dad had told a mad man that he behaved like an animal. Learning that had been excruciating, but not nearly as painful as seeing the anguish in his father's eyes; the guilt there was horrible. It had taken Dad a long time to believe that Remus didn't blame him, at least a little.

But Remus believed in putting blame where it belonged. Fenrir Greyback was to blame…and Remus, himself, for being reckless and wandering out in the middle of the night. His mum and dad both blamed themselves for _that_, but no one could watch their child every minute of the day and night. And Remus had been daring and clever enough to get out, traits he carried to this day.

"Is this going to cause problems for me?" Remus finally asked his father.

"I don't think it will," Dad said. "The fact that we were in France when he attacked you helps. Plus, we didn't get involved with his trial since it was here in Britain, so you shouldn't be mentioned in the news release as one of his victims, assuming there is one. I did meet with a couple of people I know from the Werewolf Support office about going to the release hearing, and asking them to deny him, but they said it would only draw attention to you. Apparently Greyback has some influential friends supporting him."

Remus wondered how such a vile person could actually have _influential_ friends. But when he thought about some of the things that were happening in the world, it didn't surprise him quite so much. Look at people like the Blacks, minus Sirius, of course. They were part of the upper crust of wizarding society, yet one of his aunts had wanted to allow Muggle hunting. _That _was monstrous to Remus' thinking.

"But I really don't think you will have any problems with _him_, personally," Dad continued. "He won't know where we are, and wouldn't consider that you would be here at Hogwarts, even if it did cross his mind to track you down, and that's if he even remembers…you were so young, he'd never recognize you, though he might remember your name because of me."

"Well, I don't plan on introducing myself," said Remus darkly. "When you say I won't have problems with _him personally_, what do you mean?"

Dad sighed mournfully. "I think the biggest problem this creates is the fact that his release will bring werewolf prejudices back into the spotlight. And I don't expect him to suddenly become a respectable law-abiding citizen. He won't help promote good relations between werewolves and wizards, Remus."

_Great!_ _Nothing like stirring up bad feelings in the community to make life more pleasant. _An image of Remus sitting with Lindi in the Three Broomsticks came to his mind. They were surrounded by people discussing Greyback and his monstrosity, and werewolves in general. How would she feel if she had to listen to that, knowing she was dating a werewolf? Would she be able to handle it? _Craaap!_ Why was this happening now?

Well, this wasn't going to make his life more pleasant, but at least no one knew his secret. At least he wouldn't have to deal with _direct_ insults. And there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't want to talk about Fenrir Greyback anymore. There had been enough of a shadow cast over what had started out to be such a hopeful day.

"Well, thanks for warning me, Dad," he said. "So, what are you meeting with Professor Dumbledore about? Do you have some new exotic creature to release into the Forbidden Forest or something?"

"No, I wish that was it, but it isn't," Dad said. "I'm meeting with him about you."

"Why?" Remus asked, stunned. He tried to think what he had done to warrant his father being summoned by the Headmaster. If he had been in trouble for something, he would have known before his father.

"He's going to help me convince Newt Scamander to postpone your transfer to the Werewolf Registry," Dad said, smiling hopefully.

"What?" This day just kept getting better and better.

"You come of age in less than four months, Remus," said Dad. He looked at Remus earnestly, as if he was surprised Remus hadn't been thinking about this. But he hadn't. He'd been too caught up in his life at Hogwarts, his friends, marauding, Lindi… "Technically, you are supposed to have your file unsealed when you are no longer underage."

Remus felt dizzy. He stared back out at the lake. His stomach was rolling like the wind swept surface of the water. If that happened, everyone would know. He'd be driven out of school. Dumbledore would probably be sacked.

"Don't worry," said Dad firmly. "We are very confident that Newt will take care of it. He's head of the Department. He's very tight with Dumbledore, and he owes me a few favors, not the least of which is that thestral job I did for him. And Jacob Turner, who keeps the Registry is a good friend of mine. Dumbledore is going to vouch for you. He's meeting with Scamander to tell him what a fine, upstanding young man you are, and that it wouldn't be right for you not to finish school."

"But what can they do?" Remus felt like his world was crumbling around him.

"I think they might just misplace your file for a while," his dad smiled supportively. "I'm sorry to unload all of this on you, Remus. I feel very good that everything is going to work out fine, but you need to be prepared. But don't let this spoil your day, alright?"

Remus laughed a mirthless laugh.


	32. Where There's a Will

**Chapter 32 Where There's a Will**

_A/N: I'm not sure, but I believe in many countries the legal drinking age is more varied than here in the US in that the age to drink wine and beer is lower than the age at which one can have hard liquor. That makes sense to me, so in my fic, in the Wizarding world at least, I'm making the age to drink beer, wine, etc., sixteen, a year younger than for hard liquor like Firewhiskey, rum, etc., which would be seventeen, the age of maturity for witches and wizards. Also, cider is more potent than beer, but a sixteen year-old can have it. Yes, there is some drinking in this chapter. _

_A/N 2: I know it seems that time has come to a standstill, but there is a lot going on right now in Remus' life. Things will speed up again in spring term. Then, they will probably slow down a bit again in fall of seventh year. At least, that is how it is looking. ;)_

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A cold drizzle started to fall as Remus and his father sat quietly for a moment, watching the waves grow larger on the dark water of the lake. It was like watching his life as it grew ever more turbulent, threatening to drag him under. He had been foolish to let himself forget about Greyback, the Registry, and the fact that he couldn't hide behind the walls of Hogwarts forever, though he knew it had always been somewhere in the back of his mind. It was always there, the fear, dread—and the sorrow—though he did a very fine job of suppressing it, with the help of his friends. Perhaps that had been unwise.

"Remus, I really don't want you to worry about this, now," Dad said earnestly. "Do you want to come with me when I see Professor Dumbledore?"

Did he? Did he want to sit there while they discussed his future that way? _It is _your_ future. You probably should be involved. _"I think I should, don't you?" Remus answered.

"Yes, I think you probably should," said Dad. "Let's go before we get soaked."

They walked in silence back to the castle entrance.

"I think there's a chance that Professor Dumbledore will contact Newt Scamander during our meeting. That way, he catches him outside of the Ministry," said Dad, glancing at Remus as he reached for the door handle. "So don't be caught off guard if he does."

_Caught off guard by something else…now there's a thought_.

"Actually, it will be good for him to meet you," said Dad.

Remus smiled at his father's confidence. Oh, that he could feel that confident. But Newt Scamander had written very fairly about werewolves in his book, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. He had actually seemed almost sympathetic to the werewolf's plight, revealing the way they were shunted between Being and Beast Divisions at the Ministry. If Remus had to trust anyone at the Ministry to help him, he figured Newt Scamander was as good a choice as any. Not that he knew that many employees at the Ministry….

They arrived at the Gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office entrance and his dad said, "Peppermint Humbugs."

Remus felt his heart starting to race as the door opened and they stepped on to the revolving staircase. When they reached the top, Professor Dumbledore greeted them calmly and pleasantly, as though Remus wasn't there for a meeting that might decide the fate of his Hogwarts career or his entire future for that matter. He sat quietly while his father and Professor Dumbledore shared a few pleasantries before confronting the subject of the Werewolf Registry. It was strange to listen to these two men, whom he regarded so highly above all others, discussing the means to break the law for him. What if they were caught?

"Don't worry, Remus," said Professor Dumbledore, gazing at him serenely. "We are only going to _bend_ the law for a time." Had he read Remus' mind? "You will fill out the forms as you are required to do; they will be submitted to the proper authority on time. Unfortunately, you know how bureaucrats can be—always misplacing things, and letting things get buried under stacks of paperwork." He waved his hand airily, as if _bending the law_ were no more serious than misplacing a shopping list.

Professor Dumbledore reached Mr. Scamander through the floo, and after a brief conversation, Remus thought the man seemed inclined to help them. He was asked a few questions about his classes, being a prefect, and his O.W.L. results. Afterwards, Scamander asked for the Headmaster to send him Remus' school record, and then was gone again.

"Well, I think you can rest easily, Remus," said Professor Dumbledore. "Newt is a very good and fair man, and your record is _nearly_ impeccable." His eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "Surprisingly so, all things considered. I'm only glad I don't have to send the records of your friends along. I would hate for you to suffer guilt by association, though in comparison, your record might look even better."

Dad chuckled, and Remus finally smiled. Maybe there was still a chance that the day could be salvaged. He did have his butterbeer with Lindi to look forward to, _hopefully_. He just wished he didn't have all this hanging over it. It was much more pleasant to bury his illness in the back of his mind when planning a romantic rendezvous with the girl of his dreams. Of course, that probably wasn't at all fair to her.

"Don't you have a Hogsmeade visit?" asked Dad.

"Yes, and a short one," said Dumbledore. "So go and try to enjoy yourself, Remus."

Remus had managed to thank the Headmaster, though his throat had been rather constricted. He would never be able to express his gratitude for all Professor Dumbledore had already done for him.

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Remus and his father left the office together, as Dad was anxious to get back home in case the thestral started to foal. When the door at the foot of the Headmaster's staircase slid open, they stepped out and nearly collided with a group of Slytherins making their way from the dungeons. Severus Snape looked interestedly from Remus to his father and back, his lip curling in a sneer, but seemed to think better about commenting in front of an adult. _Thank goodness._ Remus really didn't want to get into a _conversation _with a large group of Slytherins at the moment.

"Friends of yours?" Dad asked, clearly noting the glowers Remus received from the group as they passed.

"Yeah," said Remus sarcastically, wishing he had been spotted leaving the Headmaster's office with his father by anyone other than those particular _friends_.

Remus left his father at the castle entrance and headed back to Gryffindor Tower to meet his real friends. He hoped they were up and ready to go. He was eager to go into the village and have some fun in order to put the events of the morning behind him, for a little while at least. He really wanted to be in a better mood before seeing Lindi at the Three Broomsticks.

"What in the world were you doing in Dumbledore's office with your dad?" asked James, as Remus entered the common room. Clearly they had checked the map when they found him already gone this morning. "We were beginning to think we were going to have to get started without you."

"I'll tell you on the way," Remus said. There were far too many ears to overhear them in the crowded room. With the gloomy weather outside, it looked like everyone who was too young to go to the village was content to enjoy a lazy morning playing games and lounging around the cozy fire.

They walked along the path to Hogsmeade as the drizzle turned into a steady chilling rain. Remus filled them in on the events of his morning, unhindered by the need to speak quietly. They were the only ones within view as everyone else would already have left for the day. He was eager to get the discussion over with by the time they reached the Hogwarts gate.

"I can't believe they're actually letting Greyback out," said James.

"How could they only give him five years for all he did?" asked Peter, disgusted.

"The penalties have gotten harsher since then," said Remus shrugging. "Dad said if he gets caught again, he could get life—or worse."

"That bastard gets five years for all he's done, and you have to worry about being allowed to stay in school," said Sirius bitterly. "Stupid, bloody Ministry."

"Can we talk about something else?" Remus asked. "I talked to Lily this morning at breakfast."

Just the name had the desired effect, on James at least. His head snapped around and his eyes flashed brightly.

"She said her parents agreed to let her come to my house over Christmas holiday."

"Really?" James said eagerly. Then he seemed to get hold of himself. He shrugged and tried to look indifferent, to no effect. "Mum and Dad still haven't decided what they're doing. I guess they really need to make up their minds, so we can tell your mum and dad, eh? It isn't fair to wait until the last minute to let them know we're coming. I'll send an owl when we get back."

Sirius gave Remus a quick roll of his eyes and smirked at James. "You do that, Prongs."

"What?" asked James, as the three others sniggered.

James knew they _all_ knew how he felt about Lily, yet he still tried to play it cool in front of them. Sure, he would ask her out, offer to carry her books, generally make a total berk of himself in front of them, yet he still tried to pretend it didn't bother him when she turned him down. And he might not want to admit it, but they all knew that he was absolutely chomping at the bit to be at Remus' house with her. Remus figured James had a bit more of the Gryffindor pride than he, himself possessed. He knew it was futile to pretend he wasn't absolutely mad for Lindi. Besides, when your friends had witnessed you at your absolute most vulnerable, naked, shivering, and moaning on a cold dirty floor, there wasn't much more that could embarrass you in front of them.

"Nothing, Prongs," laughed Sirius. "We'll wait for you if you want to run back _now_, and ask them if you can go—just so Mr. and Mrs. Lupin aren't left in suspense."

James responded to the sarcasm with a rather rude hand gesture, and they all laughed.

They had reached the gate leading into Hogsmeade, and Remus was happy he had succeeded in changing the subject off of Greyback and the Werewolf Registry. _So why are you still thinking about it? Come on, Remus…_

The Three Broomsticks was crowded but invitingly warm when they finally finished wandering the streets of the village. They had stopped in at Zonko's, of course, and a trip into Hogsmeade wasn't complete without a visit to Honeyduke's for a sample of the sweet-of-the-day. Remus hadn't cared much for the Firewhiskey Balls, but he had picked up a few Strawberry Creams and Chocolate Frogs to tide him over until the next care package from his mum. The previous one hadn't lasted very long, since he had given most of the Flower Blossoms to Lindi.

There were no open tables when they entered the pub, so they squeezed in at the bar. James and Sirius passed the time flirting with Madam Rosmerta, each trying to out do the other with tricks and stories about the horrors of their most recent detentions. It was interesting that Sirius didn't mind James telling of Moaning Myrtle's infatuation this time around. On the contrary, he seemed rather chuffed about it when the lovely barmaid smiled and said, "Imagine that, a girl with a crush on Sirius Black."

"Yeah, even the dead ones like him," Peter grumpily muttered in an undertone to Remus.

But Remus didn't pay that much attention to his friends' antics. He was too busy watching the door—and the time. They would need to be heading back no later than two thirty-five unless they wanted to sprint back. He checked his watch. _Twelve forty-five…Still plenty of time. _

Remus glanced around the pub as he drank his warm butterbeer. Most of the patrons were Hogwarts students, as was customary on a Hogsmeade weekend, but there were a few tables occupied by non-students. Seated around a table in the center of the room were four men talking quietly. One of them was vaguely familiar to Remus, but he couldn't quite place him. There was something about the way the men seemed to be watching the room that made Remus suspect they might be with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Aurors, maybe. Or were they working for Professor Dumbledore, brought in to keep an eye on the students for the day? He could imagine the Headmaster doing something like that.

Remus watched them for a moment; then followed the gaze of the familiar man to a table in the far corner. _Slytherins_…and they were accompanied by their usual Hogsmeade companion, Lucius Malfoy. Didn't that man have anything better to do than consort with students?

Remus hoped Malfoy would leave before Lindi arrived. _Why? You don't believe Lindi is at all interested in that man._ But Remus didn't like the way Malfoy looked at her, like he was about to devour a particularly decadent pudding.

Unfortunately, the waitress who had worked with Lindi last summer, Janice if his memory served, walked up to the Slytherin table with a new round of drinks. They were obviously planning to stay a while longer. Remus checked his watch again—_twelve fifty-two. _

The four men at the center table finished their drinks and stood to leave.

"Good, there's a table opening up," said Peter briskly. "Come on, Moony."

Only then did it occur to Remus that he and Lindi were unlikely to have any privacy, as crowded as the pub was. He really wanted to have a small table for just the two of them. He realized it would probably be very awkward trying to have something of a _date_ with his friends gawking at him.

He and Peter sat at the table while James and Sirius got another round from Rosmerta. He looked at his watch, yet again. _Twelve fifty-five_…

"Relax, Remus," said Peter, grinning. "You have time."

"Worried she won't show?" asked Sirius, setting a tankard of frothing hot butterbeer in front of Remus.

"Well, after the way this day has gone so far…" said Remus with a shrug.

"Look at it as helping your odds," said Sirius. "What are the chances of something _else_ going wrong?"

As Remus pondered this, a chilling breeze wafted into the room. He looked over to the door as two girls rushed in, chased by the now pounding rain. His heart started to beat a little faster. Was the party over?

But when they pulled the hoods back from their faces, he saw that it was Lily and Celia Keller entering. They removed their cloaks and looked around before weaving their way through the crowded room to the Marauders' table.

"Can we squeeze in?" asked Lily.

James jumped up so quickly that his chair banged into the one behind him nearly knocking a drink out of a boy's hand. He pulled out his wand and conjured a chair for Lily to sit in.

"Wow, I'm impressed," said Lily, smiling.

"Thanks," said James proudly. He caught himself before his hand made it to his hair to ruffle it. "I could do a sofa for us, but there isn't room."

"Oh, the chair is impressive," said Lily, her eyes dancing playfully. "But I was talking about the fact that you didn't simply force some poor boy to give up his seat."

"Well, now that I can conjure them, I don't need to, do I?" James said lightly.

"I'm afraid he's becoming civilized in his old age," said Sirius. "Be a gent and conjure one for Keller while you're at it."

"Oh, right," said James absently. He conjured another chair between himself and Remus, and Celia sat down.

"Was that your dad I saw you with this morning?" she asked.

"Yes," said Remus. _Please don't start asking questions about what brought him._

"I thought so. You look like him you know," she said.

"Yes, that's what Mum says anyway," said Remus distractedly, as the door opened again.

It was no one he knew…

He checked his watch. _Five after one_…

"Are you expecting someone, Remus?" asked Celia. "It wouldn't be Lindi Dellington, would it?" Remus turned away from the door and looked at her. She was smirking a little mockingly he thought. "So what's going on with you two, anyway? Are you dating her?"

He felt his face coloring. He wouldn't have been embarrassed, except he didn't know exactly how to answer. Technically, the answer was no, but hopefully that was about to change.

"For Merlin's sake, Celia, don't be such a nosy parker!" snapped Lily.

"I just asked if he was dating her," said Celia. "It's not like I asked if they were shagging." She turned and grinned at Remus. "You aren't are you?"

"Celia!" cried Lily.

"No, we aren't," said Remus, completely embarrassed now.

"Blimey, Keller, nice manners," snickered James.

"Oh, that's rich coming from the manners king himself, Mr. _Woodyashaga_," Lily smirked.

"Please tell me we aren't playing that game again," said an all too familiar voice.

Remus looked over at the table next to them. Darlene and Constance were waiting for people to remove their packages from the floor and vacate their seats. How had they slipped in unnoticed? And what had they heard? From the sound of it, Darlene at least had only heard the last.

_Wait a minute…why is Darlene here? Great, thanks so much, Sirius; you just had to ask what else could go wrong. Crap!_

"No, we aren't playing it," insisted Lily.

"Aren't playing what?"

For half a second, Remus didn't recognize the woman who had walked up behind their table. It was only when she looked him in the eye and smiled bashfully that he realized it was Lindi. He had never seen her wear makeup before. She certainly didn't need it, but—_wow_! She had put some smoky looking stuff around her eyes and—_wow_! Remus realized he was staring open mouthed. He closed it and swallowed. He wouldn't have thought it was possible for him to think she was even more attractive than he had, but that glistening on her lips…Was she trying to kill him?

"We aren't playing Woodyashaga," said Lily.

Lindi laughed. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"Here, let's pull the tables together," said Peter as the girls started to set their things on the floor.

They did and Remus was very annoyed to find Lindi standing at the other side of the table with Darlene and Constance—not that it mattered, with so many people around them. Actually, it might be a good thing. Looking like she did, and with the suspicion that she very well might have done it for _him_, Remus wasn't sure he needed to be any closer to her. But he _wanted_ to be! Lindi seemed a bit frustrated by her company as well, from the apologetic glance she threw him. Maybe this day was going to turn out all right after all.

"Here, Lindi, trade places with Peter. That chair's a little wonky," said James quickly.

Remus could barely keep a straight face as Peter practically jumped up from the chair next to him. James might have got points for trying, but he wouldn't win any awards for subtlety.

"Why don't _you_ trade places?" asked Lily, clearly missing the point, which was highly unusual. James gave her a significant glare.

"Because I don't _want_ to sit in the wonky chair," he said, nodding discreetly towards Remus.

Lily looked chagrinned when she realized what James was up to. She made a face at Remus making it harder for him not to smile. Lily was so used to expecting the worst from James; it was obviously a hard habit to break.

Lindi walked around the table and took off her wet cloak, hanging it on the back of her chair.

Suddenly it was as if he was sitting in a vacuum and all the air was being sucked out of his lungs. Lindi _was_ trying to kill him.

"Wow, Lindi, you look great," said Lily, which, of course, was the understatement of the millennium.

"Thanks, Lily, I hope you don't mind that I'm wearing them out," Lindi said. "It's kind of fun, trying something different."

"Of course I don't mind," said Lily.

And for Lindi, it _was_ different. As far as Remus knew, Lindi didn't own anything other than her school robes, and her casual skirts, blouses and those really nice waist cinchers…all very traditional wizarding attire. But today, she was wearing—jeans? It wasn't unheard of. There were a number of students wearing them in the pub at the moment. Many of the Muggle-borns wore them. Lily wore them on occasion. Remus even had a pair for when he visited his grandparents in London. But it was strange to see Lindi wearing them. Strange and _very good_—they definitely highlighted certain aspects of Lindi's figure that a full skirt tended to hide. She was also wearing what must have been the silky black top she had been given for her birthday. He couldn't take his eyes off her. How on earth had _he_ managed to get a girl like that to even _talk_ to him, much less agree to _meet for a butterbeer_?

"Well, here's to trying something new," said Sirius, raising his tankard of butterbeer, and casting a meaningful glance Remus' way.

Remus bit back a smile and looked back at Lindi. Did she realize Sirius wasn't talking about wearing blue jeans, but rather the two of them finally getting together? This was all so bizarre. He felt like a school project, with all his friends working towards him and Lindi's hook-up. It was a little unnerving, but actually fun in an embarrassing sort of way.

"So, where's Haversham?" asked Sirius, casually.

"She's in hospital—nothing grave, just a bad allergic reaction to a Horklump bite she got yesterday in Herbology," said Lindi. "Madam Pomfrey says she'll be fine when the swelling goes down, but she really hated missing the Hogsmeade visit."

"We should stop in and see her when we get back," said Peter. "Take her some Honeydukes' candy or something."

"Good idea, Wormtail," said Sirius.

"Oh, I don't know," said Lindi. "You better make sure the swelling has gone down first. I don't think Leanna would want you to see her like that."

"In that case, we'll definitely have to stop by," Sirius grinned wickedly.

Lindi started to argue, but Janice came to the table to take their order.

"What can I get for ya—_Lindi_?" Janice gaped. She must not have been used to seeing Lindi in makeup and jeans either. "Are you here on a…" She stopped mid-sentence and looked around at the table of students. "Have you seen Rosmerta yet?"

"Not yet," said Lindi. "I'll go see her in a few minutes."

"Well, what can I get you lot," Janice asked.

Lily ordered a hot butterbeer. Celia and Constance, who were clearly ready to flaunt the fact that they were now of age, ordered Firewhiskeys. Darlene looked on the verge of doing the same until Janice took out her wand and pointed it at Constance.

"_Confirmo Adultus_." A narrow beam of light from the wand shined on Constance's forehead for a moment, before turning green, confirming that she was indeed of age. Darlene settled for mulled mead.

"I'm in the mood for a mulled cider, I think," said Lindi.

Janice looked at her sideways. She leaned down and whispered, but Remus could just hear. "You know they go to your head, Lindi."

"I'm only going to have one, and I had loads to eat over at Madam Puddifoot's," Lindi whispered back.

Janice smirked and walked away. Lindi was in a daring mood, wasn't she? Or was she just so nervous she needed something to calm her nerves?

When the drinks arrived, Remus laid five sickles on Janice's tray before Lindi had a chance to get her money out. "For the cider," he explained. The young woman glanced at Lindi, raising her brows with the hint of a smile before moving down the table to deliver the other drinks. Lindi blushed, pursing her lips trying to stop _herself_ smiling. Remus' stomach gave a flutter. He had just bought Lindi their first drink together. Hopefully it was the first of many.

"Thank you," Lindi said softly. She looked down at her mug. Had he embarrassed her? He saw her eyes shift down the table towards her friends. _She must be worried about Darlene's reaction. _But Darlene was paying for her drink, and hadn't seemed to notice.

Lindi took a sip of her cider, and looked sideways at him. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something. He noticed Lily peeking subtly at them. He felt like everyone was watching him, though he knew they probably weren't. He felt his hands getting a bit clammy. He really wished there was a little table open in a corner somewhere, hidden from view.

_Audience or not, you better say something, Remus_, _or you won't get a chance to buy her another drink_.

"So, how was the party?" he asked.

"It was nice," she said. She took another drink. "What have you been doing? Have you had a good morning?"

_Oh, good is one way to look at it, _he thought sarcastically_. Come on, Remus; don't think about that_.

"I got to see my dad for a little while," he said.

"Really? Is he still here?" she asked.

"No, he had to get back home. He just had some business to take care of."

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't get to meet him."

"Well, maybe you can over Christmas. Lily's parents said she could come to my house, if you can," he said quietly.

"Really?" she said as if she hadn't expected Lily to be able to go. "Oh, well, I'll—I'll have to ask Rosmerta if I can." She took a big swig of her cider and looked around at the bar. "She must be in the back. Tell me when you see her, alright?"

"Alright." He smiled; Lindi was actually going to ask. The day had finally taken a turn for the better.

"Oh, look, it's snowing," said Lily. "I hope it keeps up. I'd much rather walk back in the snow than that freezing rain."

Remus decided to take the opening and try his luck a little further. He leaned towards Lindi. He really wished he had a bit of privacy. "Can I walk you back to the castle when you're ready to go?" he asked softly.

She only hesitated a bit, and then nodded. "I'll have to tell Darlene—and Constance," she added. She looked at him pointedly. She didn't just mean she needed to tell Darlene she wouldn't be walking back with them. So Darlene didn't know Lindi had agreed to meet him…

"Will they mind?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I hope not."

"If you'd rather not, I…" he started to tell her not to worry about it; that they could meet up later, maybe.

"What are you two whispering about?" whispered Lily, leaning her head around Lindi's shoulder. "Did Remus tell you my mum and dad said it was okay for me to go to his house if _you _go?"

Lindi smiled and nodded.

"Well, are you going to ask Rosmerta?"

"Yes," Lindi said, "as soon as I see her."

"Well, she's right behind the bar," said Lily, smiling encouragingly.

Lindi turned around to look. She finished off her cider, and then pushed her chair back. "Okay, wish me luck," she said.

Remus watched anxiously as Lindi squeezed up to the bar and leaned over it to get Rosmerta's attention. He couldn't help staring as he began to understand Muggles' infatuation with jeans.

"Put your eyeballs back in, Remus," Lily said, elbowing him in jest.

He grinned sheepishly and turned back to the bar where Rosmerta had noticed Lindi.

"Great Scott, Lindi, I hardly recognized you. What are you doing all made up?" asked Rosmerta. "You aren't here on a date, are you?"

He saw Lindi wave her hand to hush her boisterous cousin. Remus and his friends were seated just a few feet from the bar so that he could hear many of the conversations being carried on if he tried. But with her back to him, and her voice lowered, Remus couldn't make out what Lindi was saying. Still, from the expression on Rosmerta's face, and the way she looked around Lindi at him, it seemed fairly obvious. _Please let her say yes._

What came next, Remus couldn't tell. Some tall bloke had stepped up behind Lindi, blocking Remus' view. Of all the places he had to stand…

But Remus got the feeling it wasn't just coincidence when the man reached up and put his hands in front of Lindi's face, covering her eyes. She tensed and the stranger leaned down with his face next to her ear. Remus got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Who was this bloke, and why was he flirting with Lindi?

"Remus?" she gasped in confusion.

The stranger straightened as he released Lindi's eyes. "Who the hell is Remus?" he said.

Lindi twisted around and looked up at the man. She stared at him blankly and didn't seem to register who he might be. For a fleeting moment, Remus was hopeful that it had been a mistake; that the stranger had thought Lindi was someone else. But suddenly her eyes widened in recognition.

"Will?" she cried. The man smiled. Remus had a _very_ bad feeling about this. "Oh my gosh! Will! What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here to see you, of course. Don't I get a hug or something?"

And the way Lindi's face lit up…Remus could only remember her looking that happy twice before, once when she had finally disarmed him, and once when he had told her she didn't have to compete in the Dueling meet. Clearly, she was happy to see this _Will_, whoever he was. It was excruciating for Remus when she leapt up and threw her arms around the tall, rather good-looking man. Alright, he was _very_ good-looking, with his wavy dark hair and golden tanned skin. _Please let him be her long lost brother_…

But Remus knew Lindi was an only child. Who was this bloke?

"So, let me look at you," said Will, lowering Lindi and holding her at arms length. Remus really didn't like the way he was looking her over appraisingly. "Crikey, Lin, but you're all grown up."

Lindi's face simply glowed with pleasure. "Well, it's been over a year. I'm sixteen now."

"Right, you're not a little girl anymore. Poor ole Ronnie would lock you in the potting shed if she could see you," Will grinned.

_Ronnie_…That's what Lindi called her Aunt. This man must have known her in Australia. Come to think of it, he obviously had an Australian accent, and that would explain the tan.

"Who's that with Dellington?" asked Celia, a rather lustful inflection in her voice. His friends shrugged.

But Remus remembered overhearing Lindi telling Lily about a boy who lived down the lane from her aunt. _…I was completely infatuated with…he was older than me…he tried to kiss me behind the potting shed_.

Remus' throat tightened_. Oh, no, not something else, especially not this…_but the nightmare continued.

"What on earth are you wearing?" Will said, hooking a finger through one of the belt loops of her jeans. That was a tad too intimate.

"They're blue jeans—Muggle ones," Lindi said.

"Yes, I know what they are, Lin. Since when do you wear Muggle jeans?" he gave a slightly disapproving smirk. "Ole Ronnie would throttle you if she saw you like that."

Lindi's face fell. Remus was torn between feeling slight relief that Will was botching things up, and wanting to throttle the man for making Lindi feel bad—among other things.

"I look ridiculous, don't I?" she said so softly Remus could hardly hear her.

"Are you kidding, you look bloody smashing." Will bent down and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said, she bit her lip grinning, and her cheeks flushed.

"_Will_—" she said, slapping his arm.

"Same ole, Lin," he chuckled. "But seriously, do you think now is the time to be introducing Muggle clothing into your wardrobe?"

She looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"With everything that's going on—all the anti-Muggle sentiment?" he prompted.

"Oh, I—I didn't really think of that," she said, frowning.

Will shook his head, and then smiled comfortingly. Remus didn't like it. He _hated_ it as a matter of fact. _He_ was the one who should be pointing these things out to her. Taking care of Lindi was _his_ job, or at least it had been for the past few months. _Right, you can barely take care of yourself. If it weren't for Dad and Professor Dumbledore…_But he didn't want to think about those things. Frankly, he wasn't sure he could stand to think about the other things that had happened today, on top of what seemed to be developing before his very eyes.

"You have to think, Lin," said Will earnestly. "Use that pretty head of yours for more than just theorizing and potions."

"That is good advice, Miss Dellington," said a smarmy voice. "You don't want people to get the wrong impression. I'd hate to see you get caught up in something unpleasant by mistake." Lucius Malfoy had sidled up next to Lindi. He gave a sneering smile to Will. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Lucius Malfoy," he said, holding out his hand to Will.

"Will Cha—," the strangers introduction was drowned out by a burst of laughter at the bar. He shook Malfoy's hand.

"I'm glad to see Miss Dellington has someone with her best interests at heart, to look after her," Malfoy said, smiling icily down at her. "Can I buy the two of you a drink?"

Malfoy must have given Will the same creepy feeling he gave Remus, for Will slipped his arm around Lindi's shoulder and pulled her close. Remus felt slightly sick.

"Thanks, that's very generous of you, but Lin and I have a lot of catching up to do," he said. He turned to Lindi who was staring at Malfoy. "Come on; Rosmerta's sending up some food to my room and I'm starving. Besides, we really do have a lot of catching up to do."

And the day that Remus had thought couldn't get any worse, _did_. The girl of his dreams, the one who had finally let him buy her a drink, the one that he was supposed to walk back to the castle with and…He didn't think he would be able to stand it. He watched painfully as Lindi walked through the door to the rental rooms, hand in hand with some bloke she obviously adored. She hadn't even looked back at Remus.

He sat, stunned. He felt numb at first, but this quickly changed. The weight of the day was bearing down upon him heavily. He looked back from the doorway and noticed his friends watching him warily. He could tell they all must have come to the same conclusion he had, each having overheard the conversation between Lindi and Lily. He avoided looking at Sirius; he couldn't bear to see the _I-told-you-so_ that would surely be written in those cool grey eyes.

"Hey, Wilkins," said James. "Who was that with Lindi?"

Darlene swallowed a sip of her meade and shrugged. Remus noted that Constance was no longer at their table. _Has she gone to the toilet_? He wondered dully, not really caring.

"I couldn't say for sure; I wasn't really paying attention," said Darlene.

"Well, you live with her, and she obviously knew him. Surely she's mentioned some bloke from Australia at some point," said James irritably.

"I suppose," said Darlene. She glanced at Remus. "She did tell us about a bloke she fancied. Her aunt kept running him off, but I don't remember what his name was."

Remus felt his jaw clench involuntarily. This was officially the worst day of his life—well, second worst, though he couldn't really remember much about the first. But he couldn't imagine feeling any worse than he did at this moment. He only hoped he didn't let himself cry. He looked down at his hand wrapped around his tankard. His knuckles were white from gripping it, and he realized he didn't really feel like crying. He really felt more like breaking something. After all the bad news he had received today, Lindi walking out on him was the straw that broke the camel's back. Suddenly, he felt completely hopeless, humiliated, betrayed, hurt, and royally brassed off. He had been a fool—about everything. He had never wanted to break something so badly in his entire life.

Remus picked up his tankard, downing it in one, and set it back on the table rather harder than he meant to. He finally looked up at Sirius. A tiny part of him hoped for an excuse to get into an argument. A chance to do a little _friendly_ dueling would help rid him of this terrible urge to destroy everything in sight.

But there was no _I-told-you-so_ from Sirius. Rather, he picked up his own butterbeer, drained it in an obvious sign of camaraderie and said, "This place is too crowded, and I'm in the mood for something other than butterbeer. Let's get out of here."

The Marauders pushed their chairs back from the table in unison.

"Where are you going?" asked Lily.

"I think this is a good day for the Hog's Head," said Sirius.

"_Ugh_," said Lily, grimacing. "That place is awful. Why don't you just go back to the castle? You have to be back at three anyway." She looked at her watch. "It's one thirty now."

"That's plenty of time," said Sirius. "You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

James looked hopefully at Lily. "You can make sure we aren't late."

"Make sure yourself," said Lily. "I'm not going there; it smells like a sty."

"I'm game; I don't mind the smell," said Celia.

"Let's go then," said Sirius.

They donned their cloaks and Remus started to follow his friends. Lily laid her hand on his arm as he passed. "Remus," she said, looking at him sympathetically.

"It's alright, Lily. I just want to get out of here."

"I know, but—just don't do anything stupid. The Hog's Head is a dodgy place. You don't want to end up in trouble."

Remus smiled darkly. At this point, he really didn't care. _What else could go wrong?_

"I'll see you, Lily."

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A few minutes later, they entered the Hog's Head. Remus glanced around as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. Between the heavily overcast sky and falling snow, and the grime covered windows, very little light was entering the shabby pub. The room was lit with a couple of soot covered lanterns hanging above the bar, and more than half the candles on the rickety tables had burned down.

Two men where standing at the bar in the otherwise empty pub, talking to the old bartender. They had turned to the door upon the Marauders' entrance. It was two of the men Remus had noticed sitting in the Three Broomsticks earlier.

"Oy, Frank," said James brightly. The familiar looking man smiled and came towards them reaching out to shake James' hand.

"Good to see you, James," he said. As he continued to greet the rest of the group, Remus now realized why the man looked so familiar. This was Frank Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor. He had left Hogwarts after the Marauders' third year. "What are you lot doing in the Hog's Head? Mrs. Potter would not approve." Frank grinned.

"We just wanted to get away from all the noise at the Three Broomsticks," James answered. "You don't have to mention you saw us here—next time you see Mum."

"Right," said Frank still grinning.

"So, what are you doing here?" asked Sirius. "I heard you were going through Auror training."

"Yeah, I finished last June," said Frank.

"How is it?" asked Peter.

"Busy."

"I can imagine," said James. "But you still had time to go and get yourself married, eh?"

Frank beamed happily. "Yeah."

"Who'd you marry?" asked Peter.

"Alice Marlowe," said Frank proudly. Remus remembered Alice as well. She had also been a Gryffindor, and left this past year. "She's going through Auror training, too. We were going to wait until she was finished, but we decided we really didn't want to."

They all offered their congratulations, and then Frank needed to get back to work. He returned to his friend at the bar and spoke to the barkeep again. As the Marauders made their way to a high backed booth in the farthest, darkest corner of the pub, they could hear the bartender respond.

"If I keep getting Aurors in here, there won't be anyone to keep an eye out for," the old man grumbled.

"Well, we'll be out of your hair for a while," said the man with Frank, placing a couple of coins on the bar. "Have a good day."

Then the Marauders and Celia were the only customers in the pub. "Business isn't looking too good," said Sirius, mischievously. "I think it's time to do something about that." He walked over to the bar as the others settled into the booth.

After a couple of minutes of obvious haggling, Sirius returned with a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey and six grimy looking shot glasses. He slid into the booth next to Remus and Celia. "The old man gets pretty generous when he doesn't have any other customers," Sirius smiled.

"We better _Scourgify_ those," James said, pulling out his wand.

"Why, the Firewhiskey will kill any germs in them?" said Celia.

"Probably, but this is good stuff. You don't want to contaminate the taste with whatever slime is on those," said Sirius, eyeing the glasses distastefully. James performed the scouring charm and passed the glasses around.

"You got one too many, Padfoot," he said, holding up the sixth glass.

"Nah, that's the shooter," said Sirius.

"Ah," sighed James happily. "Sickles?"

"Yep," said Sirius. He pushed the last shot glass into the middle of the table. "Everybody knows the rules right?"

"I'm no good at this game," groaned Peter. "Last time we played, you made me sick."

"And we were drinking ale," laughed James.

"This will be better, Wormtail," said Sirius. "You only have to drink a shot instead of guzzling a bottle." Sirius filled each of the shot glasses with the amber liquor.

"Alright," said Peter.

Clearly Peter wasn't considering how much stronger the Firewhiskey was than ale. Remus had only had Firewhiskey a couple of times before, and it was rather potent. _Good!_ He considered that this was probably not the best idea they had ever had. They really should probably take it back to the castle before they ended up bladdered in the middle of Hogsmeade. But he was feeling a bit reckless at the moment. They didn't have all that much time, anyway. They would only have a few.

Sirius looked at Remus. "Ready for some fun?"

"Sure," said Remus, unable to camouflage the glumness in his voice.

Sirius took a sickle from his pocket and bounced it off the table landing it squarely in the shot glass. He looked back at Remus and grinned. "Cheers," he said.

A little while and several shots later, Remus was feeling far less tense about his day. However, he was getting a little anxious about the way Celia kept rubbing up against him when she would lean over to make a shot. Not to mention the way she had started resting her hand on his thigh rather than move it when she leaned back. It was making him a little hot around the collar, or was that the Firewhiskey?

Sirius glanced over and noticed Celia's hand when he went to fill their glasses again.

"Oy, Prongs, I challenge you to a game of darts," Sirius said. He slid out of the booth. "Come on Wormtail, you keep score."

It was amazing to Remus that the Firewhiskey hadn't managed to dull their wits when it came to something like clearing off to give a mate some privacy. Maybe James and Peter had noticed Celia's advances, too. But it seemed to be dulling Remus' wits. What was he doing? _You're sitting here doing nothing at the moment. But you better make up your mind. _

What _was _he going to do? There was a very attractive girl rubbing his thigh. He had had a _really_ awful day. James, Sirius, and Peter had moved to the next table, closest to the dart board on the opposite wall. He would have been more comfortable about the way Celia was blowing in his ear if they had moved to the other side of the pub, but the dart board wasn't over there. Still, it would be very nice and easy to just let himself get snogged into oblivion regardless of where his friends were. But it wasn't the girl he wanted to be snogging. Still, he was really enjoying the way her breath felt in his ear. But something was holding him back….

He put his hand on top of Celia's and held it still. "Celia," he said, turning to look her in the eye. "I, er—I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I like you, but—"

Celia put a finger to his mouth. "Don't worry, Remus," she whispered. "I'm not in love with you either." She smiled a crooked smile and pulled him towards her.

The next thing he knew, he had her pressed against the back wall. Before long, they had slid down onto the bench as his brain fogged from the Firewhiskey, and her breath in his ear as he nipped his way down her neck. His hands roamed to places they probably shouldn't have considering they were in a public place, but she didn't seem to mind. Hers were doing some roaming of their own.

He could hear his friends' voices in the background as they played their game of darts, and pretended not to notice that Remus and Celia were abandoning snogging and were on their way to a fully fledged bout of slap and tickle right there in the booth. Well, they pretended not to notice for the most part; Remus did hear Sirius say something about getting a room, but chose to ignore it, and the boys had sniggered. Remus was thankful that the booth back was high enough to shield them from the bartender, and anyone who might enter the pub, especially when he heard the door open. Under normal circumstances, he would never put on such a public display, but right now, he didn't really care. He didn't _want_ to care—about anything. Between Celia and the Firewhiskey, he thought he just might succeed, for a while anyway.

"Bloody hell," he heard James groan. _Sirius must be winning_…

But it didn't matter. He heard footsteps drawing nearer. Suddenly, there was another voice in the background.

"There you are. We've been looking for you. Where's Remus?" Her voice was muffled by the heavy breathing he and Celia were doing, but Remus would recognize it anywhere. It had the effect of an ice cold shower. He froze.

"Well, he's sort of occupied at the moment," said Sirius coolly. "What do you want?"

"I just want to see him; he's supposed to—" He heard an intake of air. "_Remus_?" she asked slowly. He'd obviously been discovered.

He pushed himself up off of Celia so he could look around. Lindi was standing there, staring wide-eyed at him, her mouth open in disbelief. What on earth was she doing here?

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_A/N: Okay, my beta, deanine, thinks I'm evil. I promise, there are reasons for the torture I'm putting Remus through, other than just tormenting him and my readers. ;) So, is anyone still talking to me? LOL! Just remember, if you don't have anything nice to say...hides_


	33. When It Rains

**Chapter 33: When It Rains**

_A/N: I haven't thanked my brilliant beta, deanine, in a while; so thank you, Bridget! Also, Bridget is a music fiend and has discovered several wonderful tunes to go on the MoB soundtrack. Because of that, she has me doing the same thing, and I have decided that the song Black Balloon by the Goo Goo Dolls works very well with this chapter. Here is an excerpt that fits Remus' current mood: _

_A thousand other boys could never reach you._

_How could I have been the one?_

_I saw the world spin beneath you,_

_And scatter like ice from the spoon that was your womb._

_Coming down the world turned over;_

_Angels fall without you there._

_I go on as you get colder,_

_Or are you someone's prayer?_

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Remus stared into Lindi's horrified eyes. There was an initial sense of morbid satisfaction at being caught in flagranté by the girl who had so devastated him. He didn't even rush to remove his hand from beneath Celia's jumper. But a pang of guilt washed over him when he realized how vindictive it was to enjoy the hurt look in her eyes, not to mention that he had used Celia so deliberately. Of course, Celia had been a more than willing participant. But why did Lindi look so hurt?

"Wha—what are you doing?" she breathed, staring in a bit of a stupor.

"What does it look like he's doing?" asked Sirius snidely.

Remus started to tell Sirius to be quiet, but his anger resurfaced when Will came into view carrying two dusty bottles of butterbeer. He sat up and helped Celia off of the bench.

"What are you doing here, Lindi?" Remus asked.

"Well, I, er, I was looking for—I thought you and—" she stammered. "I thought we were…I'm sorry, I—"

Will stepped forward and glared down at Remus. "She wanted me to meet the Defense Against the Dark Arts master who is—or _was_—helping her survive Dueling Club, and his merry men," he said coolly.

The urge to break something flared again. Actually, Remus wanted to hex this man into tomorrow. He felt himself fingering his wand. He mustered all his self control to stop himself. He was on thin enough ice to stay at Hogwarts as it was. His relationship with Lindi may have gone to hell, but did he really need to throw the rest of his life away? It would look very bad if Professor Dumbledore had to include underage drinking and drunken assault on his record before sending it to Mr. Scamander. As he looked up into Will's handsome, scarless face, and the Firewhiskey surged in his veins, he almost decided it would be worth it. Almost…

"Right," mumbled Lindi, bringing him back to reason. She looked up at Will, but seemed too stunned to continue. He smiled down at her.

"So, you must be the merry men," said Will, turning to Sirius, James, and Peter who smirked back at him. The lines had been drawn and his friends hesitated to cross them.

"I'm sorry," said Lindi weakly, apparently remembering her manners. "Erm, Will, this is Sirius Black, J-James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew." They nodded curtly as she called their names. She took a steadying breath before turning back to Remus. Her lower lip had started to quiver and she hurried on, not quite looking at his face. "And this is Remus Lupin, and—and Celia…" There was a noticeable catch in her throat.

Why was she so upset when she had _Will _coming to see her? She certainly hadn't cared what Remus was doing when Will led her off to his room.

"Celia _Keller_," said Celia, leaning over Remus to offer her hand to the dashing Will. Celia seemed to be the only one completely comfortable in the awkward situation.

"Right, Keller," said Lindi, dazedly staring at Remus.

He felt a wave of irritation. What had she expected? Did she think he should be waiting in his room, pining over her while she was off adoring the wonderful Will, or doing God only knew what else? He stared back at her until she looked away. She always looked away.

"It's a _pleasure_," said Will untruthfully. "I'm Will Chambers."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Lindi in a hollow voice. "This is Will Chambers, my cousin from Australia."

_Cousin_…the word rang in his head like a gong. _Cousin_…Remus felt like he'd just been kicked in the groin by a hippogriff. _Cousin_…How could he not have known she had another cousin? He felt like he might vomit. He shouldn't have had that Firewhiskey. He was positively nauseous. What on earth had he just done?

"Your cousin?" the words somehow formed themselves, because he could barely think.

"Yeah, what did you think; I was her lover or something?" Will sneered. He looked into Remus' eyes. He knew that was exactly what Remus had feared. Remus decided he really didn't like Will Chambers right now, but he liked himself a whole lot less.

_Now_ he felt like crying. What had he done? _You blew it_! _You jumped to the wrong conclusion about her—_again_—and instead of using your head, you acted like a complete imbecile. You are an idiot! Look at her. She's so hurt. She really did like you, and you blew it. Mother of Merlin, what is wrong with you?_ _Oh Crap_! _Where do you want to begin_? He started to compile a list, but Will interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, it was a _real_ pleasure meeting you," said Will facetiously. He turned and looked at Lindi. "But we need to get going. You have to be back soon, don't you, Luv?" Lindi nodded. Remus could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I'll walk you back to the gate." Will set the full bottles of butterbeer on a table, took her by the hand and led her out of the pub. The door closed with a thud, and you could have heard a pin drop.

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It was a long cold walk back to the castle. His friends didn't seem to know what to say and knew better than to crack jokes to make him feel better. He didn't want to talk, but would have welcomed something to stop the thoughts bouncing violently in his head. He had come so close to having Lindi as his girlfriend—but he didn't deserve her. That list of the things wrong with him was getting longer. He was starting to believe in the fates, and they were protecting Lindi from _him_. If Remus hadn't botched things up today, who knew what might have happened between them? They would most likely have ended up dating. But he thought about the meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Eventually, his secret would get out, and what would that mean for Lindi. She deserved better. She deserved someone who didn't have to _bend the law_. She deserved someone who didn't act like an idiot when things got rough. She deserved someone who trusted her—who trusted her feelings for him.

And she _had_ had feelings for him. Strong ones from her reaction today…He could see her glistening eyes boring into him so clearly. That would haunt him forever; he just knew it. He felt panic closing in on him so that he didn't think he could breathe. How was he going to face her? How was he going to stand to be in the same castle with her, much less the same room? God, he wished he could take back this day.

But he couldn't, not without a time-turner and they were far too rare.

But he had learned valuable, if painful lessons. He promised himself he would never act so rashly again. He would never let himself jump to conclusions before having the facts. If only he could have another chance with Lindi. _You don't deserve it. Just leave her alone._

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And he tried to leave her alone. She didn't really offer him much choice, as she wouldn't give him the chance to get near her. On the rare occasions that they met each other in passing, she would feign total indifference, as though they barely knew each other. She was always pleasant and polite—too polite. He wished she would scream or rail at him, and at least give him the chance to apologize.

He tried to apologize during Dueling Club practice, but it didn't go terribly well. He knew this was his best chance to speak to her privately, but she had insisted on working with Lily.

"Really, Remus, there's no need for you to spend all your time with me now. I know what the problem is, and I just have to practice, like you said. I can do that with Lily, so you can go have fun with your friends," she told him in a far too cheery voice.

"But I thought you wanted me to teach you how to do the Patronus Charm?" he asked.

"Well, now isn't a good time for that, really. Like you said, that's well beyond O.W.L. standard, and I have a very important exam at the end of term that I really need to focus on, or they may change their minds about allowing me the retest this spring." She smiled politely and turned to walk away.

"Lindi, wait. Could I talk to you please?" he implored quietly. He really didn't want the rest of his team to hear him begging, but he didn't know when he might get another chance.

He could see her brace herself before turning back to him. "I really need to get to practice, Remus," she said, giving him a forced smile, but never quite meeting his eye.

"I won't keep you long. I just want to say I'm sorry, Lindi," he said.

"Sorry for what?" she asked as if she had no idea what he was talking about. She was obviously going to make him spell it out. He really didn't relish the idea of saying it out loud, but that's what apologies were all about, right?

"I'm sorry I—about _Celia_," he said quietly, but firmly.

Lindi flinched. "Why? You certainly don't have to apologize to me. You are free to snog whomever you like," she said coolly.

"But I _don't_ like her," he said, but knew it had come out badly, as soon as it slipped his lips.

Lindi looked disgusted. "You could have fooled me. Great Merlin, I'd hate to think what I would have walked in on if you _did_ like her," she said. "But that is between you and Celia. I need to get to practice now." She turned and went to join Lily and Peter across the room.

Remus stood and watched her go without trying to stop her. He didn't know quite what to say.

That evening, he recounted the exchange to his friends as they sat in the Great Hall at dinner.

"What is her problem?" snarled Sirius. "She acts as though it was all your fault."

"Well, wasn't it?" asked Remus.

"No, it wasn't," said Sirius, hotly. "You aren't the one who skipped off to some other blokes room while she sat there thinking you were supposed to be together."

"He was her _cousin_," said Remus, defending her even now.

"Right, but you didn't know that," argued Sirius. "If she'd had the decency to introduce you before she ran off, none of this would have happened."

Remus knew Sirius was partially correct. It would have been nice if Lindi had said something, but it still didn't excuse what had happened with Celia. No, it was his fault and he deserved her anger.

But she was soon back to pretending that everything was fine, and that they had not come so close to dating—that they were no more than mere acquaintances. It was horrible. He preferred her anger. At least then she was acknowledging him. Remus missed her dreadfully. But he had done it to himself, and so he tried to give her the space she so obviously wanted.

But it wasn't always easy.

Late one afternoon, Remus sat watching Lindi during dinner, following a particularly tiresome Potions lesson in which Remus had been forced to endure Professor Slughorn's praise for Lindi and Severus Snape. Apparently, they had spent the entire weekend together, completing a highly complex potion for Professor Slughorn. It made Remus miserable to think that Lindi might be spending more time with the Slytherins because of her falling out with him. Of course, Lindi and Severus had been working together since her first term at Hogwarts, but Remus couldn't help but worry that she might start seeing one of them now that _he_ was not in her life. He remembered how Evan Rosier had been interested in her. The thought of her with any other man was repulsive, but some of the Slytherins were down right dangerous.

With this on his mind, he couldn't help but notice the way Julian Avery watched her as she stood to leave. He found himself worrying when Julian and two friends stood and followed when Lindi left the Great Hall. _It's none of your business, Remus._

But he was finished with his own dinner. He had only picked at it since he had little appetite, as the full moon was, yet again, drawing near. He was just sitting there killing time, and he had work to do back in the dorm.

"I'm going to head back to the tower," he said.

"Yeah, I'm ready," said Sirius. Peter agreed, but James hesitated for a moment, clearly waiting to see if Lily, who had joined them for dinner, was planning to stay.

"I need to go, too," she said. "I have to go work on the ball decorations."

They walked out into the entrance hall and started for the stairs. Remus slowed down when he noticed Lindi standing in the shadows off to the left of the staircase. Julian Avery, and the two other Slytherin seventh-years, Walden McNair, and Bob Carrows, were with her. Remus watched as Avery started grinning, and Lindi abruptly turned to walk away. Avery reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back. Remus picked up his pace again. Suddenly, he realized just how large the Entrance Hall was. It seemed to take forever to cross when he saw Lindi pull out her wand and start to wave it in Avery's face. He must have done something horrible if it would make Lindi try to hex him.

But Avery was too fast and strong for her. He grabbed her by the wrist and laughed.

"Oww, you're hurting me," Lindi whined.

That was all Remus needed to hear. He didn't even have to think before his wand was in his hand and Julian Avery was smashing into the Hufflepuff hourglass on the wall. Remus had just made huge strides in his silent casting. The sound of the yellow tourmalines crashing to the floor echoed through the hall like a waterfall.

Lindi shrieked and McNair and Carrows pulled their own wands.

"Lower your wands!" cried Remus. But the Slytherins didn't listen. In no time, spells were flying. Remus dragged Lindi behind the staircase, shielding her as another of the hourglasses exploded. They were showered sharply with rubies.

"Stay here," Remus told her. He didn't wait to hear her response. Several Slytherins had joined the battle from the Great Hall and Remus' friends needed his help. Even Lily was in the mix.

"Stop! Do you hear me? I said stop this, now!" cried Professor McGonagall.

But she was answered with the clatter of sapphires raining down amidst a shower of glass.

"I SAID _STOP_!" Professor McGonagall's amplified voice echoed ominously through the cavernous hall. "EVERYONE LOWER THEIR WAND."

Remus hesitated, watching Evan Rosier do the same. Neither trusted the other to lower his wand first. But there was going to be enough trouble for this.

Remus carefully lowered his wand. When Evan had done the same, Remus looked around the hall at the destruction. Oh yes, there was going to be trouble now. He looked for his friends. Sirius' nose was bleeding, but otherwise he seemed all right. James looked none the worse for wear, with the exception of a few singed spots on his robes. Lily had a few bleeding nicks on her forehead, probably from the flying glass and gemstones. Poor Peter didn't look very well. His lips were swelling and his face had developed a rather nasty rash. Julian Avery appeared to still be stunned, and was bleeding rather profusely from the many cuts on his back. Aubrey Bertram seemed to have sprouted what looked like Spanish moss from his ears.

"I have never seen such an awful display in all my years at this school," said Professor McGonagall, her voice back to its normal volume, though it was quivering with rage. "Mr. Michaelson, take these three to the hospital ward."

Peter and Aubrey were ambulatory, so they followed behind as Phil levitated Julian and proceeded towards the hospital.

"Miss Powers, find Professor Slughorn. I believe he is still in the Gre—"

"I'm right here, Professor. I'll handle the Slytherins."

"Very well," said Professor McGonagall. "Black, Potter, Lupin, and Evans! Go to my office _immediately_. You too, Miss Dellington."

Professor McGonagall cordoned off the area of most destruction with a flaming ribbon from her wand, and then followed the five students walking silently to her office. She opened the office door with a bang and ushered the students inside. Remus noticed Lindi's hands were shaking. He didn't blame her. Professor McGonagall could be quite intimidating. He was nervous himself.

The Professor walked behind her desk and turned a beady glare on each of them. She paused when her eyes rested on Lindi. "Miss Dellington, since Professor Flitwick is away for the next several days, and is not available to hand down your punishment, that task will rest with me—"

"But she didn't do anything, Professor," said Remus.

"Hold your tongue, Mr. Lupin," said Professor McGonagall, curtly. "As I was saying, that task will fall to me if it is determined that you played a role in that—that—that _horrendous _display of barbarism. Now, I would like to know what happened."

They all started talking at once and Professor McGonagall held up a hand to silence them. "Miss Evans, would you care to tell me what happened?"

Lily recounted the event up to the point where Remus blasted Avery into the hourglass. Professor McGonagall's brow arched and she turned to Lindi.

"Why were you trying to hex Mr. Avery, Miss Dellington?" asked Professor McGonagall.

Lindi looked at the professor in nothing short of mortification, but said nothing. Finally, she barely shook her head.

"You don't know why, or you won't say?" asked Professor McGonagall stiffly.

Lindi glanced subtly around, and then looked at her pleadingly.

"You four, wait outside," said McGonagall.

Remus, Lily, James, and Sirius walked into the corridor and the door shut behind them with a loud click.

"What could Avery have said to her?" asked Lily.

"I wish I knew," said James.

Shortly, the door opened and the Professor called them back in. Lindi was sitting in a chair in front of McGonagall's desk with a biscuit in one hand, and a handkerchief in the other. Her eyes were red around the rims.

"So, what I want to know is who cast the first spell," said McGonagall.

"I did, Professor," said Remus.

She looked mildly stunned. It _was_ rather unusual for Remus to be the one to start something. "May I ask why?"

"Because he was hurting her," said Remus matter-of-factly.

"Did you tell him to stop?"

Remus shook his head. "No," he said softly. The truth was, it hadn't even crossed his mind. He realized he was still acting rashly.

"No—you simply decided to blast him through the wall," Professor McGonagall said with disgust.

"Avery doesn't listen to _no_," said Sirius.

"Be that as it may, you should have given him the opportunity before seriously injuring him, and destroying half the Entrance Hall in the process. I have to say, I'm shocked at you, Mr. Lupin. You are a prefect, and I expect you to use better judgment. You too, Miss Evans. Regardless of the crass behavior of Mr. Avery, I can not excuse such an excessive reaction. And allowing it to escalate into such a monstrous brawl…I must say I am appalled. One hundred points from Gryffindor."

Ouch, that hurt. "And three nights' detention for each of you. Miss Dellington, I realize you were provoked, but I can not condone the use of violence in response to verbal insults. Five points from Ravenclaw and one day's detention."

"But she didn't even hex him, Professor," said Remus.

"She tried to, Mr. Lupin, and that is what started the duel."

Remus opened his mouth to argue again, but Professor McGonagall overrode him.

"That's my final word. You will all meet Mr. Filch in the Kitchen dungeons tomorrow evening at seven o'clock. Now go back to your dormitories," she said dismissively.

They walked soberly from the office and headed up the corridor in silence. Once out of earshot of McGonagall's office, Lindi stopped and turned to them. She focused her glare on Remus.

"Thank you so much," she said venomously. "Why couldn't you just mind your own business?"

Her words stung more than the nicks on his arms and hands.

"Look, he was just trying to help," said James.

"Well nobody asked him to," snapped Lindi. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, you were doing _a jolly_ good job of it," said Sirius.

"Leave her alone, Sirius," said Remus quietly.

"Stop it," hissed Lindi. "I don't need you to tell him to leave me alone. What are you going to do, try to stop everyone who insults me?"

Remus stared at her in answer. The truth was, that was exactly what he would _like_ to do, but he knew she didn't want to hear it.

"Well don't," she demanded. "Believe it or not, I _can_ take care of myself. And even if I can't, I don't want the big, brave, Gryffindor _stud_ to do it for me!"

She spun around and stormed up the corridor. She turned the corner without looking back, disappearing out of site, though the sharp clicking of her heels could still be heard retreating up the stairs.

Remus stared after her in awkward silence as his friends watched him eagerly. Gryffindor_ stud_? She thought he was a lecherous cad all over again. She hated him…

So why were James and Sirius grinning? He looked at them. Didn't they care that he'd lost the girl of his dreams?

"What?" he asked miserably.

"She wants you, mate," said James. Lily rolled her eyes in disgust.

"She wants you _bad_," agreed Sirius.

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked again. Lily was right. They were clearly delusional. "She _hates_ me."

"No," said Lily. "No she doesn't. She _wants _to, but she really doesn't. You need to talk to her, Remus. You need to explain why you did something so completely _stupid_." Lily patted him on the arm and walked on.

James and Sirius sniggered, but at the glare they received, decided to let it go.

"Come on, let's go see if Wormtail's lips have shrunk back to normal size," said Sirius.

When they entered the hospital ward, they noticed that Madam Pomfrey had had the good sense to put the Slytherins at one end and Peter at the other, the one nearest the nurse's office. As they passed by the Slytherins' beds, Madam Pomfrey looked up and gave them a look that said she didn't want any trouble. They continued on. Julian Avery had regained consciousness and was surrounded by a small group of friends. Aubrey seemed to have been cleared of the moss, but his ears were packed with what looked like medicated gauze.

They reached Peter's bed and where pleased to see his lips at a more normal size. His bumpy red face was slathered with a greasy salve.

"Blimey, looking good, Wormtail," said James.

"Thanks," Peter muttered.

They filled him in on their meeting with Professor McGonagall.

"I wonder if I'll get out of detention for being in hospital," Peter said.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Sirius.

"No, I guess not," Peter said miserably. "It was quite a mess, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," agreed James. "But at least now we know."

"Know what?" asked Peter.

"The answer to one of the great mysteries of life," said James, starting to grin.

Remus was relieved to see that the others looked as befuddled as him.

"What are you talking about?" asked Peter.

"Well, how many times have we wondered what could turn the calm, cool, and collected Remus Lupin into a mad, mean, maniacal hexing machine?" James asked.

Sirius and Peter burst into grins.

"Well, now we know," said James. And the three of them looked over at Remus, fit to burst.

"A _woman_!" they said in unison.

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That night, Remus lay in bed thinking about what his friends had said. It was true. Something about Lindi made him do mad things. Maybe it was best that they weren't together. But they weren't, and he was still doing crazy things. And on top of it all, Lily thought Lindi still liked him, and that he should try to talk to her. Was there still a chance? With everything going on in his life, should he even try?

He thought about what he wanted to say to Lindi. How did he explain why he had been such an idiot? _Well, see, I was having a really bad day_… He couldn't tell her all of those things—could he? Not with her so angry with him. After all, he had learned that he didn't know her quite as well as he had thought. He didn't even know she had another cousin. If he was wrong in deciding to trust her with his secrets, the results could be devastating. Besides, it really didn't excuse his behavior. Getting bad news wasn't really a very good reason to run off and start snogging someone, when you really cared about someone else. How did he tell her he did it because of _her_? That was an even more horrid reason. _I was inebriated_? _Gah_, that was even worse. He could _not _blame it on the Firewhiskey, especially since he shouldn't have been drinking it in the first place.

_I'm the biggest idiot that ever lived. I don't deserve you, but please forgive me. You make me completely insane, but I miss you, and I want us to be friends again, even if it can never be more._ He rolled over and looked out through the opening in his bed curtains. He could see snowflakes falling softly past the window. _Did_ he want her for a friend if that was all he could have?

He honestly didn't know the answer to that question. Maybe he would figure it out when he got to spend time with her tomorrow night during detention.

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The Marauders and Lily arrived in the dungeons outside the kitchen at six fifty-five. Peter had been released by Madam Pomfrey that morning with instructions to see Professor McGonagall, and she had, of course, given him the same detention. After a moment, Lindi turned the corner into the corridor. She hadn't left Remus any time to discuss anything with her, as he had known she wouldn't.

No sooner had she reached them, than Mr. Filch came shuffling up the corridor, muttering angrily. Remus caught the name Peeves, and figured the poltergeist had been up to his usual tricks. As the caretaker moved through the light of one of the torches hanging on the stone wall, they could see him wiping a slimy green substance from his coat. When he drew near enough, Remus caught a vile odor emanating from the man, or from the slime covering his coat.

_Stink Sap—Peeves must have gotten into the greenhouse and taken it from that new plant Professor Bottanie was trying to propagate._ Peeves was going to have Mr. Filch and Professor Bottanie after him, not that the poltergeist would worry about that. But angering the caretaker right before he arrived wasn't going to help the six of them in their detention. That would only make Peeves happier. Of course, Mr. Filch didn't really need anything to add to his desire to make students' lives miserable.

But, when he told them what they were going to have to do, it seemed that they had gotten lucky.

"You lot are going to save me and the house elves a whole heap of trouble," he snarled, as he led them to a door opposite the tapestry that Remus and the Marauders knew covered the kitchen door. He pulled out a mass of keys and opened it. He led them into an enormous butler's pantry, stocked from floor to ceiling with crystal, china, silverware and service pieces, platters…

"It all has to be cleaned and polished before the ball," said Mr. Filch, then he got a devious, satisfied glint in his eyes. "By _hand_—no magic, so you can't accidentally blow anything up. You can find polish and rags in the cupboard over there. Now get to work. I'll be back to check on you."

"Good riddance," said Sirius, waving his hand in front of his nose when Filch had left the room. "Does anyone know a fumigation charm?"

The friends chuckled, and Remus saw Lindi smile. He had missed that. He hadn't seen her do it since the Hogsmeade visit. But the smile vanished from her face when their eyes met, and she looked away. If she didn't hate him, she was doing a good job of pretending she did. He knew he had to try to talk to her or the awkwardness would be stifling. He only hoped he didn't make it worse.

"Lindi," he said quietly. For a moment, he thought she was simply going to ignore him, but she finally seemed to brace herself and turned to him.

"What?" she asked coolly.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?"

She looked at him, but then turned away again, as if she couldn't bear to look in his eyes.

"I suppose; what is it?" she asked with a forced lightness. So, she had decided to return to the cool politeness. He couldn't stand that.

He smiled at her sadly, but she still wouldn't look at him. It was doubly awkward being trapped in the room with his friends, who were doing their best to pretend that they couldn't hear every word he and Lindi were saying.

"Could we go somewhere and discuss it privately, please?" he said, lowering his voice more.

"Well, not right now. We have to get to work," she said. "I really don't want Mr. Filch to come back and give me another detention."

Without ever looking at him, she turned away and joined the others at the cupboard, where she collected a tub of Politus's Polishing Paste and a cloth. Sirius watched her coldly before shifting a glance Remus' way. He had no doubt heard their exchange, but he held his tongue.

When they had each gathered a piece to polish, they set to work quietly, around the large table in the center of the room. Remus wondered if his friends had intentionally seated themselves to force Remus and Lindi to be opposite each other at the same end of the table. They probably had.

Time moved slowly in the silence. The tension between Remus and Lindi weighed heavily on them. Every once in a while, Remus would look up to see the others glancing around. But Lindi refused to look at anyone, preferring to stay focused on her work. A couple of times, James tried to start a conversation on Quidditch, but no one seemed interested. Finally, after what had seemed decades, Sirius broke the silence. It happened when he obviously witnessed Remus and Lindi reach into the tub of polish at the same time. When their hands touched, she looked up and jerked her hand back as if from a flame.

"Alright, that's it!" Sirius barked, slapping his polishing cloth down onto the table. "What is your problem, Dellington?"

"Sirius, please just be quiet," said Remus.

"No, Remus, I don't think I will," snapped Sirius. "I'm sorry, mate, but you are being quiet enough for all of us, and I've had enough of it. Little miss holier-than-thou needs to get over herself!"

_Oh, boy, this is going to get ugly_, thought Remus as he saw Lindi's cheeks blaze. He tried to decide if he should argue, or just let everything play out once and for all. Maybe it would be best to let Sirius get it all out. Maybe Lindi would get upset enough to finally say what was really on her mind. Remus was reminded of his dad; how he would always let his mum vent and then figure out what to do or say. It always worked for Dad. So Remus waited anxiously with James, Lily, and Peter as Lindi glared at Sirius.

"Well?" taunted Sirius. "What is it? Don't like it when a bloke decides he's sick of being slapped down and realizes you aren't the only girl on the planet?"

"How dare you?" Lindi gasped.

"I'll tell you how," said Sirius. "You can't treat a man like you do, and then be offended when you find out he's been with another girl!"

"Are you saying it's _my_ fault that he ran off and…when he had asked me to…" sputtered Lindi.

"Hey, you are the one who ran off with Will. And yes, I know he's your _cousin_," said Sirius loudly, as Lindi started to protest. "But if you hadn't been so rag mannered, Remus might have known that then, instead of thinking he was your long lost boyfriend!"

"Oohh, that is rich! Just because I was distracted and forgot to introduce them, I deserve having him run off and start snogging the first girl that comes along?" cried Lindi.

_Arghh _Remus nearly groaned_. S_he was right. It certainly didn't _excuse_ him, though it did _help_ to explain.

"Well, how do you expect him to react when he thinks that is exactly what _you_ are doing?" asked Sirius.

Lindi's gaped at him for a moment before she composed herself. "That's just it…I didn't expect _him _to immediately think I'm off snogging someone _else_ when I'd already agreed to walk home with _him_! I didn't think _he_ had such a one track mind, unlike _some_ people! Clearly I was mistaken!" Lindi's hands were quivering as she clenched the polishing cloth in her fist.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean? _Some_ people?" snarled Sirius. "Are you implying that _I_ have a one track mind?"

"I'm not implying anything," she said. "But I think it's interesting that some people think two people can't spend time together without snogging. Just because _some_ people snog anything on two legs, it doesn't mean that's all the rest of us think about."

"I'm beginning to wonder if you think about it at all," Sirius breathed cruelly. Lindi's mouth dropped. "But you really shouldn't knock it till you've tried it, Lindi."

"You're disgusting," she said quietly. For a moment Remus thought she might start crying. He really should stop this now, but he was mesmerized by what he was witnessing.

"Yeah, that's me," said Sirius darkly. "The disgusting, insatiable man who snogs everything in sight. I've snogged so many girls; I can't even remember them all. Maybe you can help me—go on, name them."

She stared at him; they all did.

"Go on," Sirius insisted. "You know what a beast I am; so name them. Here I'll start it for you. There's your friend Leanna, and James's neighbors's granddaughter who stayed with them for a couple of weeks over the summer—"

"You snogged Veronique?" asked James, looking stunned.

Sirius shrugged.

"Not the Quidditch player for the Harpies?" asked Peter in awe.

Sirius nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything?" asked James.

"Because I'm a _beast_," said Sirius, bringing them back to the topic at hand, _unfortunately_. "So there, Dellington, I gave you two, one you knew, one you couldn't have. So, your turn."

She only stared at him.

"_Hmm_…well, help her out Prongs," said Sirius.

"Sirius, that's enough," said Remus.

"No, come on, Prongs," Sirius insisted.

"Well," said James, thinking. "You went out with Maura O'Reilly some last spring, and—" He hesitated for a moment. Remus knew who he was thinking of, and that it was only going to make things more awkward. "Celia during O.W.L. week."

Lindi looked shocked. She looked from Sirius to Remus. Clearly she was surprised that not everyone felt her sense of fairness in not snogging someone your friend had already snogged.

"And there was Doris, that girl you met at the Leaky Cauldron over Christmas," James said quickly.

"What about Felicia Dagget last autumn?" offered Peter.

"I still can't believe you snogged a Slytherin," teased James.

"You know me, anything on two legs," said Sirius. "So, where are we?" He ticked off his fingers. "Only six since about this time last year. Wow, I must be losing my touch."

And it was true, well, not that he had lost his touch. But Sirius had definitely slowed down. During third and fourth year, he had _dated_ on a much more regular basis, but like much in Sirius' life, he seemed to have gotten bored with pulling girls all of the time. Remus figured when it was that easy, it probably _would_ lose some of its thrill. Of course, _he_ wouldn't know.

"So, there you go, Dellington," Sirius said. Lindi looked rather uncomfortable. "I guess you can't believe everything you hear, especially if it's coming from that raving bitch Wilkins."

"_Ahh! _Don't you drag my friends into this," said Lindi. "She isn't the one who gave you a bad reputation."

"Maybe not, but she sure passed it along didn't she? And Merlin only knows what she told you about Moony, but she definitely mislead him about you," said Sirius.

Lindi's anger gave way slightly to confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Well, unless you have no pictures of your family, and you've never even told your friends about _Cousin Will_, it seems rather suspicious that she had no idea who he was, don't you think?" Sirius asked.

"I don't understand," said Lindi. "Darlene knows about Will."

"Well, that's really curious then, isn't it? Why do you think she would suggest that he was some bloke you fancied rather than your cousin, when we asked her about him?

Lindi went pale. She looked around the table at the others. Lily confirmed it with a sympathetic nod.

"After she said what she did, I thought for sure he was that boy you told me about, the one behind the potting shed," Lily said.

Lindi glanced at Remus and looked back to Lily. "Did you tell him about that?" she asked.

"No, I didn't have to. Darlene made it pretty clear that she thought Will was the bloke you had fancied. She didn't even mention that you had a cousin," said Lily. "You can understand why Remus thought what he did, can't you?"

Lindi looked terribly shaken. Remus felt sorry for her, but he was glad she finally knew the truth. At long last, she looked him in the eye for the first time since that awful day. Now, would she forgive him?

Unfortunately, he was going to have to wait to find out.

"What have you lot been doing in here?" snarled Mr. Filch. "You haven't got a thing done. I can see I'm going to have to separate you."

_Crap! _

_A/N: Disclaimer: The lyrics above are not mine. They are again from the song Black Balloon, by the Goo Goo Dolls. Words by Johnny Rzeznik. Released on the Dizzy Up the Girl Album/Warner Bros. _


	34. Things Get A Little Explosive

**Chapter 34: Things Are Getting Explosive**

_A/N: I have decided that I don't like the idea of werewolves being allergic to silver. I just think that for Remus to survive seven years in such close proximity to all those other people at Hogwarts, without being found out, there couldn't be any obvious symptoms like that. It would be very suspicious if he couldn't accept silver sickles for change, drink out of the silver goblets, use silverware, etc…Just my opinion, but for this story, that's what I'm going with. Good thing I decided this now, as he was playing sickles a couple of chapters ago, eh?_

_A/N 2: Bodach Thanater is a character I created for the their Halloween projects, in case you didn't remember. He was the one who organized the werewolf hunts. I didn't want anyone confused. _

A/N 3: Slag: According to my favorite site for British slang, quote: "slag or an "old slag" is not a very nice way of describing a woman who is a bit loose…" You probably would have figured it out, but just thought I'd make that clear for all the non-Brits out there. Now aren't you curious about what happens next?

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Remus sat alone at the end of the table, quietly buffing a large tea tray. He was developing a massive headache. On top of everything else that had happened, the nearing full moon was starting to take affect. James sat at the other end, making as much noise as he could, polishing flatware and tossing it into a pile on the table. With every clank of a fork or spoon, Mr. Filch would look up from whatever it was he was reading and glare. He had decided it was good enough to put a little distance between the students, as long as he stayed and kept a close eye on them. Remus would have preferred being put into a room by himself. At least then, he wouldn't have to try to force himself to stop looking over at Lindi. After the heated discussion between her and Sirius, the silence between them all was oppressive. But it was nothing compared to the torture of looking up and seeing Lindi look quickly back to her work. He needed to talk to her.

Factor in the annoying clatter of flatware from James, and Remus thought he might snap.

"Keep it up, Potter, and you'll be buying the school new silver," Mr. Filch snarled. "'Course, your _mummy and daddy _would bail you out, wouldn't they?"

Lily glanced around with a look that was unreadable. She and Lindi were sitting at a heavy oak counter on the right wall, while Sirius and Peter were at the one on the left.

"Well, as they do love me, and would think it was total rubbish for me to be wasting my time polishing silver with a bloody rag, like some _squib_," James answered haughtily, "just for hexing a few sorry Slytherins, _who_ _deserved what they got_." At this, James threw a quick, rather pointed look towards Lindi. "Yeah, they probably would."

Remus could hear the caretaker mutter under his breath, "_Nasty little spoiled brat_." Had Filch noticed the less than subtle insinuation in James' comment? The four friends had speculated for quite some time on Mr. Filch's magical abilities. But, more importantly, had Lindi picked up on the blatant defense of their (more specifically, Remus') actions on her behalf?

The look in her eyes when they met his, however briefly, suggested she had. James continued his clanking ever more exuberantly. It made the little sniffle almost impossible to hear.

The minutes ticked away so slowly. It was a huge relief when Mr. Filch finally got fed up with the noise.

"Potter, if you don't stop making such a racket, I'll have another detention added for you," he said. "And you, Dellington, stop that infernal sniffling. What's the matter with you?"

The side of her face turned pink. "I—I have something in my eye. The fumes from the polish…"

"Well, if you can't handle detention, you shouldn't be mixing up with this lot!"

With that, Lindi's sniffling only became more pronounced. She was clearly very upset. Remus could have throttled himself with the heavy silver pitcher in front of him for having made her cry. He wouldn't mind giving Sirius a good hard thwack, too. Remus was glad Lindi knew the truth, but Sirius didn't have to be so _brutally_ honest.

After what seemed an eternity, they were released for the night. Remus' head was pounding; he felt queasy from the fumes mingling with the effects of the coming transformation. It was almost a relief when Lindi bolted from the room before he was even finished storing the items he had polished. He wasn't sure he could handle the important conversation they needed to have while he felt so poorly. Still, the look on his face as he watched her retreat out the door must have hinted at his discouragement.

"She's a bit upset, Remus," said Lily. "There was quite a lot laid on her. She just needs a little time to sort things out. Give her a couple of days, and I think she'll be ready to talk."

_A couple of days? _After two more nights of detention, and having to get up early to make up the assignments he was unable to complete because of it, Remus would be in even less of a condition to talk coherently. Not to mention, the day after that was full moon. It was going to be a while before he would have a chance to talk to her. By then, it would only be a few days until the Crystal Ball. He might as well face it; it was very unlikely he would be taking Lindi. There was just no way she wouldn't have been asked by then. _She probably already has a date now_, he thought, his head throbbing painfully. He just wanted to go to bed.

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The following night's detention was far less eventful. For one thing, Lindi had only been assigned the one, so she wasn't in attendance. For another, Mr. Filch didn't leave their sight. Fortunately, Sirius had managed to talk James out of making them _all _miserable by clanging the service pieces together, just to irritate Mr. Filch. They actually got quite a lot of polishing done. By the end of the night, Remus' fingers were red and chapped from the Politus's Polishing Paste. He rubbed them tenderly as the five Gryffindors walked back to their tower, through the deserted corridors.

"I don't know what is in that stuff, but it eats your skin up, doesn't it?" said Lily, looking at her own inflamed fingers. "We should soak our hands in some essence of Murtlap when we get back to the tower."

So the Marauders waited in the common room with instructions to conjure bowls and fill them with warm water, while Lily went to her room to retrieve some Murtlap tentacles from her potions kit.

The five friends sat on cushions in front of the crackling fire, reclining against the chairs or sofa, and soaking their sore fingers in the bowls on their laps. It was very comforting. The only other occupants of the common room were a small group huddled at a table against the wall, studying quietly. Everyone else would be asleep, or on their way at this hour. Remus wished he was. But he had to get some work done. This detention was really inconvenient.

But for a little while, he just wanted to sit here and relax, enjoying the soothing warmth of the Murtlap essence, and the company of his friends. He needed it.

"So, I saw you talking to Haversham after dinner," James said to Sirius. "Did you finally ask her to the ball?"

"Yeah," said Sirius, without elaborating.

"Did she say yes?" asked Peter.

Sirius gave him a look that suggested that was a stupid question.

"I just thought after what happened with Lindi, she might have been put off," said Peter.

"Why—because I told her friend the truth?" asked Sirius.

"Well, Lindi might have cast it in a different light than that," said Peter.

"Nah, it sounds like she told her exactly what happened. And Leanna's cool. She knows I was right. She _did_ say she thought _Moony_ was a bit of an arse…" Sirius laughed at Remus' reaction. "But I set her straight. Now, she just thinks the _both_ of you are being complete idiots."

"Smart girl," Lily chuckled.

"Thank you, Lily," Remus said drolly. He knew she was teasing him, but he also knew there was more than a bit of truth behind it. He and Lindi had made quite a mess out of things.

Lily shot him a grin before addressing Sirius. "So, did Leanna say anything about Lindi confronting Darlene?"

Something flashed in Sirius' eyes. "No," he said darkly. "Would you believe Wilkins got called home while we were in detention last night? So Lindi hasn't had a chance to talk to her. How's that for timing?"

"Why'd she get called home?" asked James.

Sirius' expression hardened. "You remember she said she had a cousin who worked for the Werewolf Capture Unit?" he asked. They all nodded. It was unlikely any of the Marauders would have forgotten that. "Well, apparently he ran into some trouble while he was investigating something. He's in very poor shape from the sound of it." Sirius didn't sound at all sympathetic towards the man.

"It must be really serious if they called her home," said Peter.

"It is, if he's who I think," said Lily, looking thoughtful. "He must be the man I read about in the _Daily Prophet_ this morning. Did you read about that?" Lily looked at Remus. "I know you get the _Prophet_, right?"

"Yes, but I didn't read it this morning. Thanks to detention, I had to get a translation for Ancient Runes finished," said Remus. "What happened; was he attacked?"

"_Viciously_ attacked," Lily said.

"By a werewolf?" asked Remus, hoping it was just a coincidence that the man worked for the Werewolf Capture Unit. He didn't want to hear of anything that would bring attention to the werewolf population. But he figured it was only a matter of time, since Greyback had been released.

"Yes, but he won't _become_ a werewolf," said Lily. "Assuming he lives, he should be fine, because, luckily it wasn't full moon. That's not for another couple of nights."

The Marauders' eyes shifted around to one another discreetly.

"Oh really? That _was_ lucky," said James, not missing a beat. "Did it say what he was investigating?"

"No, they said they weren't at liberty to discuss it, as it's still an open investigation. I bet it has something to do with that horrible Fenrir Greyback. Did you read about him? It was in the paper a couple of weeks ago," Lily said.

"Yeah, we read about _him_," said Sirius. "So, I wonder how long Wilkins will be gone."

_Thank you, Sirius_, thought Remus gratefully. Darlene might not be a pleasant subject, but he'd rather talk about her than Greyback any day.

"Well, the paper said her cousin was in stable, but critical condition this morning. The Healers at St. Mungo's are the best, so he's probably going to make it. She should be back tomorrow, I'd think, if she didn't come back tonight," said Lily. "Of course, Lindi will probably feel so sorry for her, that she won't have the heart to confront her."

"Well, I don't think Leanna will," said Sirius. "She said she's sick of Lindi moping around and pretending she doesn't like Moony, all because Darlene makes her feel guilty and some _stupid_ notion that her family is cursed." Sirius rolled his eyes.

Remus perked up a bit. Lindi's best friend thought Lindi was only _pretending_ she doesn't like him...

"Why does she think her family is cursed?" asked James, with a snort.

"Who knows?" Sirius nearly groaned with exasperation. "Because she's _a nutter_? I guess it's because _she _likes him, and _he_ likes her, and they _still _can't get it together. She doesn't seem to realize it's a self-inflicted _curse_."

Remus smiled when they all chuckled. _Poor Lindi_…His friends didn't know what was in her background to make her prone to the slight paranoia. But Sirius was right; she was turning the _curse_ into something strangely like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course Remus wasn't helping matters. They were both unintentionally (at least on his part) throwing up barriers to each other.

"Well, it's time to break the curse," said Lily brightly. "I want to see them all dressed up at the ball together." She grinned at Remus. "Not to mention, if you don't get things sorted, I won't be able to come to your house over hols, and I just _can't_ be cooped up with Petunia and Vernon for that long. And you are running out of time, Remus!"

"What can _I_ do?" asked Remus. "She won't talk to me. I didn't see her once today, outside of class. You are the one who said I need to give her time to sort things out."

"Yes, I know. And it's all true, but I'm giving it another day, and then I'm locking you both in the broom cupboard until you, er, _sort things out_!" Lily winked.

Remus tried to stop the blush creeping up his neck. He was less than three months from his seventeenth birthday, a _grown man_, for Merlin's sake. But he couldn't help it. The thought of being locked in the broom cupboard, _sorting things out_ with Lindi, just made him go warm all over. It wasn't a given, but Remus had started to believe it was possible again. After all, it was like Lily had told him on their way back to the dormitory after that first detention, "Girls don't cry over boys they _don't_ like."

"We'll help you get them locked in," said James. "Not that you need it," he added with a playful smirk.

Lily grinned.

"So, who are _you _going to the ball with?" James asked, managing to make it sound surprisingly like simple friendly curiosity.

Lily shifted a little awkwardly and looked down at the bowl in her lap, as if it needed adjusting. "I'm going with Hallam McHewn," she said steadily.

Remus was well impressed with James' composure. If he hadn't known how James felt about Lily, he would never have guessed, from the lack of reaction her statement that she was going with the seventh-year Hufflepuff caused. Remus, Sirius, and Peter showed more of a reaction, when they looked around at one another, as if waiting for an explosion. But instead, James nodded calmly.

"Hal's a good bloke," he said. "I didn't know you were dating him."

"Well, we aren't exactly _dating_," Lily said, glancing up at James. Remus would have sworn she looked almost apologetic or embarrassed; he wasn't quite sure which. "We've just been working on the decorations together, and he asked me. Speaking of the decorations—I have to be up early tomorrow to get some things done. These detentions are putting me behind schedule."

She lifted her hands out of the Murtlap solution, dried them on a hand towel, and got to her feet.

"Thanks for the Murtlap essence," said Remus. "It seems to be helping."

"No problem," said Lily. "I'll see you lot tomorrow."

They wished her good night and watched her go up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

Remus and the others sat quietly, glancing at James and each other. Remus had the feeling none of them knew if they should say anything to James or not. With him, it was probably just best to let it go.

He was staring into the fire blankly. Finally, he let out a little snort, pulled his hands out of his bowl and wiped them on his robes. "Hallam McHewn?" he asked. "Why would she want to go with Hallam McHewn?"

"You just said yourself, he was a nice bloke," said Sirius.

"Right, _nice,_ and about as interesting as a Flobberworm," James said rather bitterly.

"Well, at least you know she probably won't be having a roaring good time," said Peter consolingly.

"Well, great, there is _that_," James snarled. "I'm going to bed."

Remus contemplated trying to get some homework done, as the others cleared up their Murtlap essence. He decided he was far too tired and feeling sick to make it worth the effort, and followed them up the stairs where his warm, comfortable bed awaited him. He needed all the rest he could get.

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The following day was exceedingly long. He couldn't help but notice that Lindi looked rather tired herself, but nothing compared to him. Darlene still hadn't returned and there was a small blurb on the condition of her cousin in the _Daily Prophet_. Apparently, he was experiencing a setback with infection of some sort that the healers were having difficulty controlling. That was just great. Remus could imagine the hysteria this might stir up. As if people weren't already afraid enough of werewolves to start with, even with people like Newt Scamander assuring them that werewolves were only a threat during the transformation. He remembered Darlene's comments during their game of _Woodyashaga_. How ironic that her cousin was experiencing this horrible tragedy.

Remus tried not to worry about the fallout from the attack. There was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

They managed to survive the last night of detention with Mr. Filch. In Remus' exhausted state, it went by in a blur. He vaguely recalled Lily nudging him when he must have dozed off, and asking if he was all right.

"Yes, I'm fine," he had assured her. "I just had to stay up really late to finish some homework I haven't had the chance to do." That seemed to placate her, though she had continued to glance at him from time to time, a worried look on her face.

The following morning, Remus skipped breakfast, preferring to sleep a last few precious minutes, rather than picking at food he had no desire to eat. His edition of the _Daily Prophet_ arrived while he was wearily pushing a Brussels sprout around his plate at lunch time. He skimmed the paper for anything earth shattering. Fortunately, there was nothing, although there was another update on Darlene's cousin. He had been removed from the critical list to stable and improving. That was good news.

However, the outcry against the werewolf community that Remus had been expecting finally transpired. Thankfully, it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. A photograph of a small group of protesters huddled outside of the Minister of Magic's home was in the bottom right corner of the front page, overshadowed by the headline story of yet another incident of Muggle torture that had occurred in London. Of course, Remus knew that there would have been much more outrage if Darlene's cousin had been the son of one of the more prominent members of the community. But as it stood, the story wasn't high profile enough to overcome the more sensational atrocities being carried out by the Death Eaters.

Still, the article showed that there were members of the community who were very concerned about the fact that werewolves were allowed to "_wander around in society just like normal people_," and who wanted "_the names of all werewolves published in the Daily Prophet, so we can protect our families from them_."

Remus read the rest of the article.

_When contacted by this reporter, Mr. Newt Scamander, Head of the Department __for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, assured the community that __the Werewolf Registry is accessible to the general public. But he also had this to say: _

"_If it comes to my attention that anyone is using the information to harass or cause harm to any innocent person, I will personally move to have it sealed. The Registry is meant to be used as a way to keep track of werewolves for their own safety, as well as others, so that terrible atrocities like those committed by the likes of Bodach Thanater will never be repeated."_

_While Mr. Scamander's reasons for the creation of the Werewolf Registry are still valid today, the rise of Fenrir Greyback in the early sixties showed the need for people to be informed about the possibilities of having werewolves in their midst. With Greyback's recent release from Azkaban, it seems only prudent for the community to be on alert. For this reason, we at the Daily Prophet are providing the listing of the Werewolf Registry. The following names are those currently registered, as of this morning. For complete information on current location of anyone listed, the Registry is available for viewing at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Beast Division, Ministry of Magic Headquarters, London. _

Remus scanned the roll of names, feeling great sympathy for the people listed. Someday, _his _name would be there for the world to see. And this had to come on the day of the full moon…would it draw attention to his peakedness, and impending absence? He tried to appear as normal as possible, but he couldn't hide the dark circles under his eyes, or the sallow hue of his face.

By dinner, he was ready to get away to the privacy of the Shrieking Shack, if one could ever be ready for that place. After forcing down half a roll, he started to get going. He only hesitated when he saw Darlene entering the Great Hall.

So, she had returned. He watched as she joined Constance and Leanna at the Ravenclaw table. Lindi had left shortly after the Marauders had arrived. Remus wondered if she had seen Darlene yet. Lindi still showed no sign of being ready to talk to him, and Remus hoped she was only waiting until she had a chance to discuss things with her _friend_, first. Regardless, Remus couldn't miss the chill with which Leanna greeted Darlene, as she stood and left the table with barely an acknowledgement of Darlene's return. Leanna stopped by the Marauders' table on her way out, smiling warmly at Sirius.

"Hi, Leanna, what's up?" Sirius smiled back, sliding over to make room for her on the bench next to him.

"Not much," she answered, squeezing in. "I just had to get away from Darlene. I can hardly look at her without wanting to tell her what a bitch I think she is."

"Why not just tell her?" asked James.

"Because it isn't my place; Lindi needs to do it," answered Leanna.

"And she hasn't?" Peter inquired.

"No, she hasn't had a chance. Darlene just got back," said Leanna. "But she better do it tonight, or I'll have words for both of them. I'm tired of it."

"Good for you," said Lily, sliding down the bench to get closer to them. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. Actually, I _could_, but I'm just being nosy." Lily chuckled. "I'm tired of it, too. So, where is Lindi?"

Leanna rolled her eyes. "Same place she's been every night since her detention with you lot."

"Where is that?" asked Remus.

Leanna looked like she wanted to say something, but hesitated. "I don't want to get her into trouble—_yet_. But this better be the last time."

"She's out flying, isn't she?" said Remus softly, a sense of dread gripping him.

Leanna didn't respond.

"I cannot _believe_ her," Remus breathed. _Crap! I have to get to the shack and she's out there. Dammit!_ "She's been going out flying every night?" he asked.

"I didn't _say_ that, so don't turn _prefect_ on her," said Leanna snappishly.

"Forget that we are prefects, Leanna. Is she out there?" Remus asked, becoming exasperated.

Leanna shrugged. "You know, Lindi," she said. "That's what she does when she's upset. She goes flying."

Remus rubbed his eyes tiredly. "She told me she wouldn't go out after hours anymore."

"Well, _you_ told _her_ you'd walk her back from Hogsmeade and _that_ didn't happen either," said Leanna bitingly.

_Ouch, touché_…

"Oy, Leanna, I told you what—" said Sirius.

"It's alright, Sirius," said Remus. "She's right." He turned to Leanna and looked her in the face. "I don't have any reason to expect her to keep her word to me, but no matter what happened between us, it doesn't change the fact that she should _not_ be out there alone. It's too dangerous." He felt a wave of nausea flow over him. He was running out of time, and had to get to the Shrieking Shack.

"Well, I told her I'd tell Em if she did it again," said Leanna. "She promised she wouldn't be out late, because she has to meet me in the library to work on something." She turned to Sirius. "I thought you might like to do something when we get our work done."

"Ah, I'd love to, but I'm afraid we have an important project to work on," said Sirius smoothly. "Actually, we really need to get going or we won't get it done. Maybe tomorrow night, okay?"

Leanna looked appeased and walked with them out into the entrance hall where she left for the library.

"So, what is this big project you have to work on?" asked Lily.

"Marauders' secret," said James, smirking deviously. "I might tell you about it someday, if it's alright with the others."

"I'm not sure I'll want to know," Lily smirked back. "Well, try not to lose Gryffindor _too_ many points. Our hourglass has never been this empty, and I'm ashamed to say I had a hand in it. You lot are a bad influence. I really shouldn't be spending so much time with you."

"But you can't resist, can you?" said James, putting on his smarmiest grin.

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter," said Lily, rolling her eyes, but trying to hide her own grin. "After three nights of detention, I'll be able to resist just fine."

Remus hated to disrupt James flirtation, but he couldn't wait any longer. He nudged Sirius to get his attention and told him, with a look, that it was time to go.

"Prongs, we need to get going, mate," said Sirius. "See you later, Evans."

Lily gave them a slightly suspicious look and nodded. "Right," she said. Remus was relieved when she headed down the corridor away from Gryffindor Tower. The Marauders walked as quickly as Remus could go up the stairs to retrieve their winter cloaks, the Marauders' Map, and James' Invisibility Cloak. When they reached their room and closed the door, Remus turned to them.

"You can _not_ let me out until you know Lindi is back inside the castle," he said forcefully.

"What are we going to do if she stays out there a while?" asked Peter. "The wolf gets _restless_."

"Personally, I think we should call her over and let Moony eat her; put her out of everyone's misery," snorted Sirius.

Remus glared at him. "That is _not_ funny!"

"Sure it is, Moony," said James. "Because he's _joking_. You know we aren't going to let you eat _anybody_, so calm down. We need to figure out what to do. You have to get going."

"We could always report her," said Peter.

"No, I don't want her to get into trouble, although if she does it again, I'll report her myself," said Remus.

"You go on and get situated," said James. "I'll take my broomstick and find her and tell her she has to come back inside. Then I'll meet you at the shack. Hopefully, it won't take long, and we can take the wolf out before he gets too frustrated."

Remus looked out the window towards the pitch. He couldn't see her; maybe she had come in already. But what if she was still out there?

"Promise me you will make sure she's inside," Remus nearly pleaded.

"I will, now go," said James.

"If you don't actually see her, don't let me out, no matter what, alright?" insisted Remus.

"Moony, _go_; I said I'd make sure, and I will," James said sternly.

With James' assurance, Remus rushed down to the empty classroom on the ground floor, where he always met Madam Pomfrey prior to crossing the grounds to the Whomping Willow.

"There you are, Remus," cried the nurse. "Where have you been? It's getting late; you'll have to run!"

"I know; I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey," said Remus, already gasping for breath.

Thankfully, there was no time for questions. The nurse performed the Disillusionment Charm that would prevent anyone seeing him cross the grounds. Then she sent him on his way out through the concealed door in the small cupboard at the back of the room.

He ran as quickly as he could go, the nausea getting worse with every breath he took. He desperately wanted to stop and search the sky for any sign of James and/or Lindi, but couldn't take the chance. He knew Madam Pomfrey would be watching until he disappeared into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. She no longer accompanied him all the way, trusting that he could manage on his own, after all these years. He grabbed the stick that was left for him and prodded the knot to freeze the swaying branches. A low, rumbling growl drew his attention to the edge of the trees, where Padfoot stood, waiting and ready to join him as soon as the transformation was complete. Wormtail sat comfortably on the big dog's broad back.

Feeling the profound gratitude that he always felt knowing they would be with him, and making a heartfelt prayer that he wouldn't hurt them _this_ time, Remus ducked into the narrow tunnel and scrambled to the Shrieking Shack. He barely had time to strip off his robes and hide them and his wand under the floorboard when the change engulfed him.

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When the searing pain had eased into a dull throbbing ache, Remus could tell that he was more injured than he had been lately. His arms and hands stung, but nothing compared to the burning on his face and neck. He forced his eyes open and tried to focus on his hands. There were bite marks and scratches all over them and up his forearms. He reached up and gingerly touched a spot on his jaw. It hurt, and he drew his hand back from the wound revealing blood on his finger tips. He felt worse than he had since his friends had started joining him. A hint of panic swept over him. What had happened?

…_Lindi_…She had been out…Had they been unable to find her, and forced to keep him locked up? Remus tried to remember what had happened. Had he injured himself, or were the wounds from fighting with Padfoot? He looked around for tell tale signs of serious injuries. If they had fought, and Padfoot had been badly injured, it would have been in this room, or they wouldn't have gotten the wolf back inside. Relief started to settle in when he found only spatterings of fresh blood on the clawed wooden floor, and then he heard the scuffling sounds of people pulling up the floorboard and retrieving his things. The muffled sounds of his three friends' voices in the hallway eased the remaining fear.

"Are you alright, Moony?" asked Sirius, as he came through the creaking door.

"Yeah, 'm okay," he said hoarsely, trying to push himself up off the floor. He noticed a nasty gash just along Sirius' hairline when he leaned down to help Remus up, and a few scratches were visible on his neck. Clearly, Padfoot and the wolf had fought. But why? "What happened?" His shaking voice hinted at his concern.

"Nothing," said James. "Everyone's fine. _We_ are fine, _Lindi's_ fine…_You_ look like crap, but you didn't eat anyone, so just get dressed."

"That's good to know," Remus tried to smile, but his face hurt. He looked up at Sirius as he and Peter helped him over to the bed. "I take it you had to restrain me."

"Yeah, a bit," said Sirius, helping Remus slide his robes over his scratched arm. "The wolf has absolutely _no _patience. You definitely got it all."

Remus smiled wearily. "I'm sorry, and thank you."

"Don't mention it; at least he's never boring."

"Are you saying _Moony's_ boring?" joked Peter, helping guide Remus' other arm through its sleeve.

Sirius laughed. "I didn't mean it like that, but I've never had to sit around watching the wolf stare at a book for hours on end, so…" He pulled a playful face, and then grimaced. The facial movement must have pulled at his cut and he reached up and touched it lightly. "That better not leave a scar, or I'll have to kick his arse next month."

"Well, if we don't get out of here, Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix it up for you right here, because she's in the tunnel," said James, folding the map. "But I think it would be best if you make something up, and go see her in a little while. Come on; we'll see you later, Moony."

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"Moony…Oy, Moony," a faraway voice called his name. He was so tired; he decided to ignore it.

"_Moony_, wake up, mate," another voice poked at his consciousness.

_Go away_. It hurt just to think. Why were they bothering him?

"Moony, come on; I'm sorry to wake you, but we have to tell you something," this voice was more firm. It had an urgency that cut through the cobwebs in Remus' head.

He opened his eyes to find his three friends sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at him. He felt panic creeping in. _Please don't let it be something bad._ He really didn't think he could handle it at the moment.

"What's going on?" he said in a gravely voice. He looked over at the clock on the wall next to the nurse's office. Five o'clock…

"Evans is planning to come and see you," said James hurriedly.

"What?" asked Remus trying desperately to clear his head. "Does she know I'm here?"

"Yep," said Sirius. "We had to tell her. She said she'd been looking for you all last night and half the day. She caught up with us in Defense, and forced it out of us. You know what she's like."

"Since when does anyone force anything out of you?" Remus groaned as he propped himself up on his pillow.

"Well, I'd normally hex their arse off, but Prongs won't let me hex Evans, will he?" Sirius smirked.

"It wouldn't have stopped her looking for you," said James. "Listen, apparently something happened last night, but she won't tell us what it is, because _she_ wants to tell you."

"What happened?" asked Remus, starting to think a bit more clearly.

"Like I just said, she wouldn't tell us," said James. "She really wanted to know where you were, so we told her you were here."

"Why didn't you tell her I had to go home or something?" asked Remus. "Like we always do?"

"Because she was asking questions about my head, and we knew when she saw you all scratched up too, she'd get suspicious. Evans isn't stupid," said Sirius. "She'd think it was quite a _coincidence_ that we were both scratched up, don't you think? We didn't want her to start asking too many questions."

"So we told her you had an accident," said James.

"What kind of accident?" asked Remus.

"You tell him, Wormtail; it was your idea," said James.

"I told her we were working on a potion, and you dropped a vial of something that clearly didn't belong into the cauldron, and the whole thing blew up," said Peter.

"It was awful," said Sirius dramatically. "Glass…bits of metal flying like shrapnel… bad potion everywhere. I got hit with a piece of the cauldron. It was sticking out of my head. Prongs had to pull it out for me. I'm lucky I didn't lose an eye."

"But you got the worst of it," added James. "Since you were standing right over it when you dropped the vial. Some of the potion flew into your mouth and that's why you are so sick. It poisoned you, on top of getting all nicked up by the shrapnel."

"You're lucky to be alive," Peter said nodding solemnly.

Remus would have laughed if he'd had the energy. "Thank you, Peter," he said. "You couldn't have come up with a scenario that didn't make me look like a bumbling fool, could you? Couldn't we have been marauding and gotten attacked by a herd of angry hippogriffs or something?"

"Well, how would I have explained why only you and Padfoot got injured?" asked Peter, starting to grin. "I needed something that was _plausible_. You botching up a potion came to mind."

Remus had to admit, the story had believability. "I suppose you and Prongs were in the supply cupboard and that's why you weren't hit with _shrapnel_ or poisonous potion?"

"I was in the cupboard; Wormtail was in the loo," said James, grinning. "So, do you have it straight?"

"I think so. If I get confused, we can blame it on bad potion," said Remus.

"Good, because she'll be here any minute. She said she was coming to check on you after dinner," said James. "She better hurry, because I want to go eat. I'm famished."

Remus heard the door open to Madam Pomfrey's office. The nurse looked out and Remus could hear the tsking sound she made as she shook her head before heading their way.

"Did they wake you, Remus?" she asked.

"No, Madam Pomfrey," he lied. "I was awake."

"I'm sure you were," she said disbelievingly. "Well, how do you feel?"

"Fine," he lied again.

"Right, I'm sure you do," she said, leaning down and pulling a bandage away from his jaw to check the wound there. "I wish I knew what caused this regression." She stared at the wound, as she pondered the cause.

"Maybe it was some sort of _hormonal_ surge," offered Sirius, feigning seriousness. "You know, Remus _does_ come of age soon."

Remus would have liked to give Sirius a big knot on his head to go with the gash there. He regretted having told his friends about that long-ago conversation with the school nurse. Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows and nodded distractedly.

"I suppose that's a possibility," she said. "At any rate, we need to keep the wounds well covered with this salve. I think you should stay here tonight. I don't want any infection to set in, and I'll be able to give you a stronger pain potion if you need it to sleep. Hopefully, you'll be ready for classes tomorrow." She looked over at Sirius. "How's that gash on your head?" She lifted the fringe off of his forehead and looked. "Next time, be more careful with your ingredients, and don't wait so long to come and see me. Any longer, and this would have left a scar."

When the nurse had returned to her office and closed the door, the four friends laughed with relief.

"_Hormonal_ surge?" James sniggered. "Good one, Padfoot."

"Yes, thank you _very_ much," said Remus. "And what did you tell her happened to _you_?"

"After we talked to Evans, it seemed like a good cover, so we told Madam Pomfrey the same thing, only that Wormtail bumped my arm and made _me_ drop the vial, as you weren't available to be working with us," said Sirius.

"What if Lily asks Madam Pomfrey?" asked Remus.

"We told Madam Pomfrey that we'd used the story as a cover for you, so she's ready for any questions Lily might have. Don't worry; we've got it all covered, thanks to Wormtail here. He's become quite a master of deception," said James. Peter looked well chuffed at the praise.

The friends spent the next few minutes discussing the previous night. The reason for the wolf's _regression_ was that he had been forced to stay in the Shrieking Shack much longer than usual. James had had trouble finding Lindi, as she had Disillusioned herself and left the pitch to venture out over the lake. Then, she had argued with James about going inside. Apparently, Lindi was not keen on being told what to do by one of Remus' friends. Remus considered the fact that not only did he have to make things right between Lindi and _him_, but he needed to make things right between her and his friends, if things were going to work out the way he would like. He didn't want them all at odds. It should be easy enough with Lindi, Peter and James, but it might take some time with Sirius. Things had been rather strained between those two…

James stopped relaying the discussion with Lindi when the door to the infirmary opened and Lily walked in. She gave Remus a quick look-over and handed him a bar of Honeyduke's best chocolate.

"You look a mess," she said forthrightly, sitting on the bed next to Peter. _Typical Lily_, Remus thought with a smile. "What on earth were you doing trying to concoct a potion when you were already so exhausted?"

"Thank you," Remus said, holding up the chocolate, "and I don't know; just crazy I guess."

"Well, admitting it is the first step to recovery," she smiled, shaking her head. "You know, that's what you get for trying to make an illegal potion for your silly Marauders' secret—_whatever_."

"Who said it was illegal?" asked James indignantly.

"Why else won't you tell me what it was?" she asked.

"Well, because," said James.

"Oh, well in _that_ case…" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Because it would give away the Marauders' _secret_ and we might want to try it again sometime," said Peter.

"But we won't let Moony help mix the potion," said Sirius.

Remus would have enjoyed the lighthearted bickering, except for the fact that he was really tired, and the aches and pains were starting to become distracting. The pain relieving potions were wearing off, and he didn't want to take anymore until he heard what Lily had to tell him. He wanted his mind clear for whatever it was.

"They told me you'd been looking for me," Remus said to her. "Is something wrong?"

She got a devious glint in her green eyes. "Depends on how you look at it, I suppose," she said mysteriously. Lily wanted to play games. Remus really wished he felt up to it. She must have seen it in his eyes. "Oh, alright, I won't ask you to guess what happened in the library last night. I really can't believe you lot haven't already heard. It's all over the school."

She paused, as if waiting for them to explain their ignorance of something so monumental.

"We didn't get much sleep after Moony almost blew up the castle," offered James. "We've been zonked all day."

"Come on, Evans," said Sirius.

"Well," she started dramatically. "I was in the library looking for a Charms book. It was really crowded, with end-of-term exams and all. Leanna Haversham was there with a bunch of other Ravenclaws, and one of them was _Darlene Wilkins_." Lily paused for effect.

"Go on" prompted Sirius impatiently. They were clearly sucking the fun out of this for her.

"Well, Lindi came in while I was checking the book out, and walked over to where the Ravenclaws were sitting. She whispered something to Darlene, and the two of them went behind one of the stacks together."

Remus felt his pulse quicken. Lindi had confronted Darlene.

"They were in there for a couple of minutes. Then, all of a sudden, Darlene is shouting at Lindi," Lily said, her eyes widening in excitement.

"What was she saying?" asked Peter, equally excited.

Lily looked somewhat scandalized. "She called Lindi a two-faced, backstabbing little_ slag_! Right there for the whole library to hear. Madam Pince nearly knocked her desk over, she jumped up so fast."

"What did Lindi do?" asked James, betraying a bit of excitement, too.

"Nothing," said Lily. "She came walking out from behind the stack and started to leave."

"That figures," said Sirius.

"I can't believe she just walked away from that," said James.

"What did you expect?" asked Lily. "This is Lindi we're talking about."

"She should have hexed the crap out of her," said James.

"Hexing people isn't _everyone's_ first instinct," Lily said.

"Right, but sometimes, people _deserve_ to be hexed," countered James.

"Well, after what happened with Julian Avery, I think she learned her lesson," said Lily. "Some people do that, you know…_learn _their lesson?"

"Well, I don't—,"

"Can we get back to what happened in the library," interrupted Sirius.

"Right," said Lily. "Anyway, the next thing we know, Darlene hexed Lindi and—,"

"She didn't," gasped Peter.

"Oh, yes she did," said Lily. "She wrote _slag_ all over Lindi, in bright red letters."

"_Gawd Blimey_!" cried James. "Why isn't she in the Dueling Club?"

Lily gave him a disgusted look. "It isn't funny!"

"Actually, it is," said Sirius. "Especially when you consider how _ironic _it is. What did Dellington do?"

"She hexed her back," Lily said in amazement. "Well, sort of."

"What do you mean?" asked Remus.

"I should have said, she _tried_ to hex her back," Lily grimaced. "She actually ended up missing Darlene and blasting about twenty books off of their shelves."

James and Sirius groaned, rolling their eyes and throwing their hands up in despair.

"She is hopeless," said James.

"Well, at least she tried," said Peter. "That's something."

Remus smiled. He had to agree that it was improvement, considering she would never have done it a month ago. He only hoped that this, along with being put in detention for trying to hex Avery, didn't cause her to have a major setback. He really needed to sort things out with Lindi, if for no other reason than she needed him to help her get ready for that O.W.L retest.

"I bet Madam Pince threw a wobbler!" said James.

Lily winced. "Oh, you should have seen it. I thought her head was going to explode. I've never seen anyone turn that shade of purple before. I swear, she was making the lanterns flicker, there was so much energy coming off of her."

"What did she do?" asked Remus.

"She told them both to get out of _her_ library, before she _hurt_ them and to come back the next day to get their detentions," Lily grimaced again. "It was scary."

"Poor Lindi," said Peter.

"Is she okay?" asked Remus.

"You know," said Lily starting to smile. "I think she is. I think it was really good for her. At any rate, Madam Pomfrey got the hex off of her." Lily gave Remus a significant look. "And she's been looking for _you_ all day."


	35. We Need to Talk

Chapter 35 We Need to Talk

Remus awoke the following morning feeling sore and sluggish. He pulled himself up to rest against the headboard of his bed, trying to shake off the effects of the pain potions. He needed his head to be clear, because something big was going to happen today….

Lindi had been looking for him, and the last thing Remus wanted was to have her find him when he was too groggy to keep a coherent thought. The previous night, after Lily had informed him that Lindi had been looking for him, his mind had started to race. What did Lindi want to say? Would it be what he so desperately wanted to hear? The fact that she had obviously angered Darlene in some way was a positive sign. Of course, just because Lindi had been upset with Darlene for contributing to the mess they now found themselves in, didn't necessarily mean that Lindi would forgive _him_ for his part in it. She could be looking for him in order to tell him she couldn't. But Lily had seemed to think it was a good sign, even though she claimed that Lindi hadn't confided in her…

"All she would tell me is that she'd been looking everywhere for you, because she needed to talk to you—_privately_," said Lily, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Then, Lily had teased him about going to tell Lindi he was in hospital, so Lindi wouldn't think he was off snogging someone else. At least it was _partially_ teasing. Remus thought it was probably Lily's way of humorously reinforcing the fact that he had been an idiot, but he didn't find it very funny, and it didn't make him feel overly confident about Lindi's reasons for looking for him.

"She said she was almost afraid to look for you after what she found the last time, but I assured her that that had been a fluke," said Lily, shaking her head at him and rolling her eyes. "At least she was still looking for you. That's a good sign."

But no matter what Lindi wanted to say to him, Remus wasn't ready to talk to her just then, not while he was in a hospital bed, in a hospital _gown_, of all things. It was bad enough that he would have to talk to her with the cuts and claw marks from the transformation, but he at least wanted to be coherent and upright—and _dressed_!

Lily had promised to tell Lindi not to come to see him; that he was fine, but sleeping and that he would be out of hospital the next day. Lily had also told him he really _should_ be sleeping, and Remus knew he looked very bad. He really wished Lindi had decided to talk to him before he looked like warmed over dragon dung. But like so much in life, he couldn't do anything about that.

Luckily, Madam Pomfrey had arrived as Lily was leaving and given him another pain relieving draught. Knowing what was likely to occur the next day, he needed something to relax him, as if the pain hadn't been enough to keep him awake. His friends had gone with Lily, as he quickly fell under the influence of the potion and drifted into well needed sleep.

But now, he was awake and it was time to face the day. Remus made his way back to Gryffindor Tower to get ready for whatever would come. He had missed breakfast, but he didn't feel like eating anyway, and he didn't want to be late for his first class, after having missed them all the day before. Besides, it was Herbology, and Lindi would be there.

As he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he briefly considered how lucky girls were to be able to hide imperfections with makeup. Of course, it would take a layer of plaster to hide the marks on his face, and dark circles under his eyes_. She's seen them before_, he thought glumly. But that wasn't quite true. She'd seen the circles under his eyes, and a few nicks and bruises, but never so many claw marks._ She wasn't here before Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Of course, this is nothing compared to the way things were then, _he thought.Back then, he would miss more than one day of classes_…Thank goodness she didn't see you then._

Remus carefully dabbed a bit of the healing paste on the largest of his wounds, changed the dressing on the gash across his chest, and finished getting dressed, thankful for the full robes that hid a great deal of his injuries.

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Lindi was already in Greenhouse Three when the Marauders arrived. Remus' stomach did a little flip when he saw her standing over a tray of seedlings with her back to them. He usually felt that way when he saw her, but knowing she had been looking for him gave him an extra jolt. The fact that she was not at her usual table only added to his excitement. Darlene was at the table they usually shared her back also to them. _Thank heavens_.

There were still a few minutes before the class would start, and Remus decided to take the opportunity to speak to Lindi. He knew they wouldn't have time to discuss anything, but making contact would diffuse some of the tension he felt waiting for _her_ to confront _him_. As it was, he thought he just might be ill. He hadn't been this anxious in a long time. So, after setting his things down underneath his work station, he summoned his Gryffindor courage and walked over to Lindi's table.

"Good Morning, Lindi," he said as casually as he could.

It came as no surprise that she looked every bit as anxious as he felt, when she jerked her head around at the sound of his voice. "Hello, Remus," she said, looking back down at the tray of seedlings.

If he hadn't known Lily better, he might have worried that she had set him up. Lindi didn't act like she wanted to talk to him at all.

"Lily told me you were looking for me," he said.

Lindi nodded. "Yes, I was," she said softly.

"Well, here I am," he said lightly. _Oh, this is torture_. He couldn't wait to have this over with, one way or another.

She looked back up at him, her face unreadable. She swallowed. "I—I was wondering if you might have some time later—so we could talk," she said.

"Of course," he said, sounding far steadier than he felt.

She nodded again. "Alright, I thought maybe I could meet you right after dinner. I'll have a little while then, before I have to go to the library," she said.

_Not until dinner? Crap_…he really didn't think he could stand to go through the whole day waiting for this. "Fine," he said. "But couldn't we talk after class?"

"No, I can't," she said. "I have to get my assignment for Defense Against the Dark Arts finished before class. I didn't get to do it last night."

Remus remembered that Lindi had run frightfully afoul of Madam Pince. No doubt, she had been in detention most of last night. He was sure that was the reason she only had a _little while_ after dinner tonight. She would be serving more detention. The librarian could be quite harsh to anyone who so much as misplaced one of her precious books, much less someone who blasted them off of the shelves trying to hex someone, especially when spells were forbidden in the library in the first place. Lindi would be lucky if she didn't have detention straight through the Christmas holidays.

And it was all because of him. He had inadvertently caused her a fair amount of headache, and if he read her properly, a bit of heartache too. He desperately wished he could make it up to her.

_Then you should leave her alone_, said a nagging voice in the back of his mind.

But when she looked up at him with those luminous brown eyes, he knew he couldn't help himself. _Maybe she won't give you the option_, he thought almost hopefully. But the prospect made him positively miserable.

"I could help you with the assignment," he offered.

She let out a skeptical little sniff. "I don't think so, Remus. I really have to get it finished and you'd," she paused. "You'd just be a distraction."

"Then I'll see you after dinner," he said as Professor Bottanie entered through the back door.

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The class and the rest of the day crept by slowly. By the time dinner finally arrived, Remus was nearly at his wits end, though no one else would have noticed. His three friends would know that the calm exterior belied the anxiety he was experiencing, but only because they knew him so well.

No one else would have known how hard his heart started to beat when he saw Lindi push her half-eaten dinner away, and rise to leave the Ravenclaw table. He was sure that anyone within five feet of him could hear it pounding in his chest when she looked over at him on her way towards the door. It was time.

"I've got to go," he told his friends.

James and Sirius turned around in their seats and looked at her, making her flush and turn away. James was grinning when they looked back.

"Go get her, tiger," James teased, waggling his brow.

"He's not a tiger; he's got the heart of a _lion,_ remember," Peter corrected him.

"Of course, what was I thinking?" said James. Then he made a ridiculous roaring sound. Remus was glad _they_ felt like making light of the situation. He, for one, felt like he could be marching to the gallows.

"Oh, will you grow up," Lily said to James. "Good luck, Remus." She looked up at him excitedly, and he tried to take comfort in her confidence. Lily was a very smart girl, after all.

"Thanks," he said, and headed for the door. The butterflies that normally resided in his stomach whenever he was in sight of Lindi had migrated to his chest and were working their way into his throat. He was so nervous. One moment, he felt very hopeful, but the next, he would wonder when any good had ever come from someone saying, "We need to talk." But the thing was, they really _did_ need to. With that certainty to bolster him, Remus calmly joined her outside the door.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello."

He waited for her to say something else. She had been looking for _him_, after all.

"So, erm, do you think we could go someplace where we won't be interrupted?" she said hesitantly. "I don't have a lot of time."

"Of course," he answered.

It was far too cold and rainy to go outside, so they decided to find an empty classroom. They walked along the second floor corridor in tense silence, stopping to peek into each room they came to. Eventually, they settled for the empty Dueling Hall, since, as a Dueling Team Leader, Remus had a key, and most of the other classrooms were occupied by people studying for their end of term exams. Remus unlocked the door and waved his wand, silently casting the spell to light the torches in the front of the large room. He stepped aside to allow Lindi to enter before shutting the door. He could see her tense with the click of the lock. She took a very deep breath and turned to him. Was she going to start that instant, barely inside the room? He wasn't quite ready.

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked. "I could conjure some chairs for us."

"No, I don't think so," she said, already starting to fidget.

_Hmmm_…was that a bad sign? She didn't want to get comfortable, or she wasn't planning to be there very long. Well, considering how tired and achy his own legs were, he would prefer to be sitting, especially if she was about to give him bad news.

"Do you need to sit down?" she asked. "Lily told me about what happened with the potion. Those cuts look painful."

He smiled embarrassedly, but didn't want to talk about that. "They're alright, but I am a bit tired. Let's go over there." He motioned her towards the front wall and the console that stood there. He didn't really want to be sitting down low in a chair with her pacing around him. He already felt vulnerable enough. So, he leaned against the edge of the console and tried to appear casual. Then, he looked at her, waiting to hear what she had to tell him. She was looking at the floor and had started clenching and unclenching her fists anxiously, as if she were pumping herself up. He waited.

Finally, she took a deep bracing breath and looked up at him. "Do you like Celia, Remus?" she blurted.

Her directness took him a bit by surprise, as she sometimes did. At times, Lindi seemed at a complete loss for words, but every now and then, she would blurt out whatever seemed to come into her head. She had done the same thing to him in the broom cupboard that day after he had dueled with his friends, when she had asked him about Darlene. She had been embarrassed by _that_ outburst. But this time, she seemed determined to have an answer. She stared into his eyes as he contemplated his response, and for a change, she didn't look away. He took a moment to compose himself and answered.

"I've known Celia since first year. We're housemates. I wouldn't say we are _good _friends, but we arefriends. I like her, _most_ of the time, but I don't _like_ her," he said steadily.

"But you must be attracted to her," Lindi said softly. She was clearly unconvinced. He could hardly blame her, after what she had walked in on.

He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Ah, Lindi," he said wearily. "Not particularly. Yes, I think she is a very attractive girl. There are lots of pretty girls, but I'm not really all that _attracted_ to them." He took a deep breath. This was his last chance and he was going to say everything that he wanted to tell her. "Not nearly the way I'm attracted to _you_."

"Then why?" she asked wretchedly. "And I know you thought I had…I can see why you thought that, because of Darlene, but I don't understand why you ran straight to Celia if you don't like her."

He hated the hurt look in her eyes. He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. This would have been hard enough even if it hadn't been only two nights after a rather rough transformation.

"I didn't run to Celia. I just _ran_," he explained. "Because I'm an _idiot_—I just did something really stupid."

Lindi looked stricken. "That's the problem, Remus," she said softly. "You _aren't_ an idiot. You are the most level headed person I know. _You_ don't _do_ stupid things."

A little self-deriding snort escaped him, and he rolled his eyes, smiling before he could catch himself.

"Well, as I've been informed by my friends recently, that doesn't seem to be the case, where _you_ are concerned," he said, but Lindi didn't smile, so he added quickly, "And not because you are cursed or anything, but because I'm crazy about you. You know that."

Her eyes started to glisten. _Oh, no_… Merlin help him if she started to cry.

"Then why would your first thought be to snog another girl?" she asked desperately.

_Crap! _She was going to make him spell this all out, in painful detail, and it was going to be draining. He needed to sit down. He mustered his strength and pulled himself up onto the console. It pulled the wound on his chest and he let out a long breath before looking her in the eye. He was going to get this cleared up, even if it killed him.

"Because I was _angry_," he said bluntly. "I was angry, and hurt, and embarrassed. I have liked you for so long now, and finally, we were together, or I _thought_ we were, and then the thing with Will…" _And everything else that had happened that morning, _he thought miserably. "I just wasn't thinking straight, and I wanted to get away, so we left. Then we had the Firewhiskey, and Celia started…" He let out another long breath to get his thoughts clear. "Part of me just wanted to be completely distracted, and—and I think part of me wanted to hurt you the way you had hurt me." Admitting that was very difficult for Remus. He felt terribly ashamed. Her eyes had reddened and were swimming in tears.

"Well, you did," she said, her voice cracking.

Remus wanted to jump off of the console and take her in his arms, but the way she was struggling against the tears made him think she wasn't ready to be comforted, not by _him_ anyway. She looked angry.

"I'm so sorry, Lindi. I'd give anything if I could take it all back, but I can't."

"I know; me, too," her voice cracked again. "But it isn't _all_ your fault. Sirius is right. I've treated you very shabbily."

She turned away from him now, looking down at her hands, picking nervously at her fingernails. His heart started to race. Was she going to forgive him? He could hear a slight sniffle.

_Oh, please don't cry! _"No, you didn't do any—"

"Yes," she said over his protest. "I knew you liked me. I've known it for a long time, but I've been too much of a coward to—"

Remus held his breath. This was it. But she was too much of a coward to do _what_, exactly? Was she afraid to say she liked him, too, or to tell him she didn't? But Lindi just stood there, frozen.

"To much of a coward to do what, Lindi?" he prodded. "What are you afraid of?"

After another long moment, she sniffed loudly and finally looked up.

"You."

He felt like his heart had come to a screeching halt. Why was she afraid of him? He knew she _should_ be, but she couldn't possibly know why, could she?

"Why?" he asked.

This time, Lindi let out a little snort and smiled ruefully.

"Because you scare me to death, Remus," she said desolately. "I've never felt like this about anyone, and I don't know what to do. Sirius is right about me leading you on, but he's wrong about—about me not thinking about…" she paused, her face turning scarlet, and she hung her head shamefully. When she spoke again, it was barely a whisper. "I _do_ think about it—all the time. I can hardly think about anything else. I think there's something wrong with me."

She was twisting her fingers to the point it looked painful, and wouldn't look at him at all. That was probably for the best, because he was sure he must look like a total berk, as he gaped at her, ready to burst with excitement. He knew she was talking about Sirius' insinuation that she never thought about snogging, and Remus _assumed_ she meant that when she did think about it, it was _with him_. Lindi was obviously unnerved by the admission, but Remus was ready to jump in the air and shout. Of course, he restrained himself. He didn't want to frighten her even more. He wanted this all cleared up once and for all, no more confusion, no more misunderstandings, and no more assumptions.

"Why does it scare you, Lindi?" he asked breathlessly. "It's perfectly normal to think about it."

"I'm not so sure," she whined doubtfully. "It isn't the way I thought it would be. It shouldn't be this difficult. Besides, I'm supposed to fancy loads of boys, and giggle with my girlfriends about how cute they are and about first kisses and…but I don't, and I don't have any girlfriends left to giggle with, except Leanna, and we don't, because it isn't funny. I'm not supposed to feel this way about _you_. You're my friend, and I'm so afraid of losing you, but the thing is, I already have. I was afraid of what would happen if we started…" she waved her hand to finish the thought. "But we never did, and we aren't friends anyway. So, we might as well, if you still want to, but then I'll probably like you even more, and that will make it even worse if you decide you don't like me as well as you think. What if you don't like snogging me after all; what if I'm no good at it?"

She paused to take a breath and sniffled as her eyes welled with tears again. Remus could only stare at her, trying to follow her hysterical rambling, but his brain was still somewhat locked on her admission that she thought about snogging him, _a lot_. But had she just said he might not like kissing her? Was she completely insane? She looked up at him hesitantly, as if looking for assurance that she needn't worry.

"I don't think you should worry about that. I'm sure it will be fine," he said stupidly. He inwardly cringed. _Gawd Blimey, Remus…it will be _fine_? You sound like a complete imbecile!_ But his brain was in an absolute fog. She wanted to _snog_ him, for Merlin's sake!

"But what if it's not? I don't want to lose another friend over this. I've already lost Darlene, but _you_…" she closed her eyes and groaned. "Why does it have to be _you_? Why couldn't you be someone I don't like so much? Why did I have to meet you _now_? It's just too soon! I'm not ready, but you are driving me barmy. I'm scared to death to be _with_ you, and I'm miserable being _without_ you. I'm so afraid that if I let myself, I'll like you too much, and I don't want to get hurt, Remus. I don't want to end up like Mum, but—" she hiccoughed and a sob escaped her. "But I'm scared to death that I'm going to wake up in twenty years, all alone because I was to cowardly to take the chance of being hurt, when the man of my dreams was standing right in front of me."

Remus sat stunned. She had finally managed to rip his attention away from the snogging bit. He could barely hear her for the blood pumping in his ears. There was one thing Sirius was _definitely _right about. Lindi was a total nutter! And Remus was positively mad for her.

And did she just call him the man of her dreams?

But he was stunned that she would be worrying about ending up like her mum. That meant she was already worrying about more than snogging. Remus just hoped to have a chance to _kiss _her someday, though he had to admit, knowing she had thought beyond that excited him quite a bit. But did she honestly think he was the kind of man who would make love to her and then abandon her? Of course, he had given her reason to think he was a bit of a cad. He had already admitted to snogging two girls he didn't really care about. But he was a teenager…teenagers snogged. It didn't mean he was a complete lecher.

He had to make her see reason, and with Lindi, it wasn't always easy to do. He slid off of the console and walked toward her, stopping when she was within reach. But he didn't try to touch her. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries just yet.

"Lindi," he said slowly. "I would never let you end up like your mum. But it's a bit early to be worrying about anything like that, don't you think?"

"I don't know," she said in a high pitched voice. "Is it? I mean, you and Celia were getting pretty…" She couldn't seem to complete the sentence. Her face turned a darker red and she hiccoughed again. "I don't know what you would expect."

"I wouldn't _expect _anything," he told her sincerely. If she only knew just how little he expected. "I care about you, Lindi. I wouldn't expect you to do anything you didn't want to do. But I really like you, and I believe you like me, and I think we should try to see what happens."

"But I'm afraid of what will happen," she whimpered. "I'm afraid I'll fall for you, but you'll decide I'm not what you want and you'll leave me."

All the time he had known she was afraid of ruining their friendship, he had never _really_ considered how fearful she was of losing someone else close to her. But it made sense that she would be afraid of losing people; she had already lost so many. Had he really given it proper thought, he would have realized how she felt. Hadn't he had the same fears, always worrying that the people he let close to him would learn his secret and abandon him? He wanted to tell her not to worry, that he would never hurt her, but he couldn't. _Don't make promises you can't keep, Remus. _He knew that someday, if things progressed, he would have to tell her his secret, and that was likely to hurt her badly. He briefly considered standing up and telling her she was right, that they were too young and she should forget him.

They _were_ young, and there was no way of knowing how things would work out between them. But what if they did end up falling in love? After all, they obviously cared for one another, and they weren't _that_ young; they had one more year, and then they would leave Hogwarts and enter the real world. _Would you really want her trapped in that kind of life?_

But when he looked at her lovely tear-streaked face, he knew he couldn't make himself walk away. He was sure he had never wanted anything so badly in his entire life. And she was afraid _he_ would leave _her_? _Yes, she's a blooming nutter_. He smiled down at her sweetly.

"I can't imagine that ever happening," he said softly. "Lindi, no one can know what will happen, but some things are worth the risk. I think I'm much more likely to end up with a broken heart, but I'm willing to take that chance, because I really like you. I think we are good together. We get along so well, and—well—you're making me barmy anyway."

He saw the corners of her mouth twitch. That was good.

"I think you are making this far more complicated than it already is," he continued hopefully. "You can't worry about what happens so far down the road. Most people just follow their hearts, or hormones, or whatever…" he smiled as she blushed yet again. "Like this…"

He pulled his wand and silently cast _Flagrate. _Flame appeared from the tip of his wand and he wrote in the air.

_Dear Lindi, I like you. _

_Do you like me?_

Her jaw quivered as she was torn between sobbing and laughing. She nodded timidly, a small smile winning the struggle on her face. Yet her eyes filled again. Why was she crying now?

"Lindi, please don't cry," he implored.

"I'm not crying," she insisted weakly, turning away.

Remus wasn't particularly sure how to deal with her tears. He didn't have a lot of experience with crying women, other than his mum, and he usually just left _her_ alone. Dad handled Mum's tears. But Remus knew he needed to do something. He only hoped he didn't mess this up. It was going very well. He reached out and finally touched her, turning her face back to him.

"Then I better get you to Madam Pomfrey right away, because your whole face is leaking," he teased. Her face was wet from tears and—_other stuff_. But she was so lovely.

And then she burst into full blown sobs and threw herself onto him. The impact made him gasp as she pressed her face into his injured chest, but he didn't care. He folded his arms around her tightly.

"I missed you so much, Remus," she wept.

"I missed you, too," he agreed. He couldn't think of anything else to say. It had all finally been said, so he stood there, at long last, enjoying the feel of her as she shook with the sobs, the warmth of her breath through his dampened robes, and the spicy smell of her hair as he buried his face in it. It was sheer bliss.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there like that, but slowly, she stopped shaking and sobbing. With one last little sniffle, she pulled her head back and looked up at him. He could hardly believe this was happening. He had the girl of his dreams in his arms. He reached up and dried her cheek with his thumb. His heart started racing again as he leaned his head down slowly toward hers. He could hardly breathe when they were nose to nose. He finally closed his eyes, as he felt his lips tingle when they ever so lightly started to brush against hers, and…

There was a thunderous pounding on the door!

_Good gawd BLIMEY! _


	36. Some Sort of Conspiracy

**Chapter 36 Some Sort of Conspiracy**

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Remus groaned, clutching at the wound on his chest where Lindi had shoved him away, startled by the knocking. There was another booming rap on the door. Who the hell was out there? He was going to kill them!

"Moony!"

_Oh, for the love of Merlin_…It was Sirius. What was he doing? Remus decided that as soon as he could catch his breath, he was going to hex Sirius into the next millennium! Why would one of his best friends do this to him?

"Moony, open the door! We know you're in there," barked Sirius.

Remus looked over at Lindi, as he shook off the pain. She looked mildly panic stricken.

"Oh, Remus, did I hurt you?" she asked.

He nodded. "Just a bit—but it isn't _your_ fault," he assured her, his voice hinting at his irritation. He straightened himself up and walked to the door, pulling it open with a jerk.

"What are you _doing_?" he spat through clenched teeth.

Sirius was standing in the corridor surrounded by James, Peter, Lily and Leanna. Were they all deranged?

"Hey, I'm just the messenger, mate. Madam Pince is looking for—"

"_Madam Pince_…Oh Crikey!" cried Lindi checking her watch. "I'm missing detention! Oh, _no_, she's going to _kill _me!"

She bolted towards the door, and they all stepped aside so she wouldn't knock them over. She ran a few yards down the corridor before skidding to a halt and turning back.

"I'm sorry, Remus," she said sadly, the dried tear streaks on her face shimmering in the light of the torch hanging beside her. She didn't wait for a response, turning again and sprinting up the corridor, her hair flailing out behind her.

Remus stared after her as Leanna darted past him to follow her friend. He couldn't believe it. They'd come so close…again. Why did this keep happening?

But this time, it was different. This time, he _knew_ how Lindi felt about him.

She liked him. Not as just a friend, but she really _liked_ him. She had even called him the man of her dreams. He felt like _he_ must be dreaming, but for the pain across his chest. He reached up and felt it gingerly, noticing the dampness of his robes. Looking down, he could see a large spot glistening and he realized the wetness was from more than just tears. There was a definite layer of—well, a slimy sheen streaked the black fabric. _Ummm…lovely_. He wiped his hand clean as a small smile crept over his down-turned face. He remembered how wonderful she had felt in his arms, the way she had gazed up at him. He didn't care in the least that she had mucked up his robes.

"Are you alright, Remus?" asked Lily tenderly. Her gentle voice pulled him back to the moment at hand.

…And the fact that they had prevented him from kissing Lindi—when she was actually going to _let_ him—_finally_!

Remus looked up and met the concerned green eyes. Clearly, Lily didn't realize what had happened—none of them did. They thought things had gone badly, from the way they were all gazing at him. He tried to process what had happened to make them think that. The image of Lindi turning to him as she ran down the corridor flashed in his mind. The tear streaked face and red-rimmed eyes…the sincere apology written in them.

But they didn't know her apology was for having to leave him and for not being able to finish what they had started.

_Hmmm…_.

Remus rather liked the thought of getting them back for all of their prying and teasing these past few months. Not that he hadn't enjoyed it, but they had a little payback coming to them, especially since their timing just now had been truly abysmal.

"I'm fine," he said solemnly, and turned to go back into the Dueling Hall. He started towards the front of the room and the console.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lily start to follow him, but James grabbed her by the arm. Remus could barely hear James whisper, "Maybe we should just leave him alone."

_Typical_…Men weren't exactly known for there wonderfully sensitive handling of each others' emotional crises, and the Marauders, close as they were, were no exception. Of course, they would give him the chance to talk, (mainly because they would want to know what had happened) and would be very supportive, probably by offering Remus the advice to _forget her; she isn't the only girl on the planet!_ But that would come later, after Remus had had time to be alone and do whatever he might need to do, be it rage, break things, or even weep. For now, they would want to give their mate some space. After all, as Peter had said when they had seen Lindi and Daniels together on the Marauder's Map all those weeks ago, Remus crying would probably freak them out.

But Lily was a girl…

He reached the console, placed his hands on top of it and leaned on them, feigning dejection. Glancing discreetly over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of vibrant red hair coming up behind him. The sounds of footfalls on slate informed him that his friends were following her. _Good! _Remus really didn't want to be left alone. He wanted to share this wonderful news with someone. Actually, shouting it from atop a table in the middle of the Great Hall during dinner seemed like a good idea, but he'd settle for telling his best friends.

"Remus?" Lily's voice was gentle.

"Yes," he answered.

"What happened?" she asked timorously.

_Nothing, since you lot came barreling in at the wrong moment_, he thought, irritation helping him to pretend he was unhappy. But then again…_something wonderful happened!_ His irritation vanished and the urge to shout struck him, but he fought it for the sake of teasing Lily. After all, she had been relentless; bless her.

Remus turned and looked at her, his somber face masking the elation he felt. All the years of hiding his illness had perfected his ability to hide his true feelings. That was a talent that could come in quite handy.

"We talked," he said.

"Well, what did she say?" Lily asked.

"Quite a lot, but I don't think she'd appreciate me for repeating it, Lily," he evaded the question.

"But…" Lily looked nearly distraught. "I was so sure."

Remus could hardly stand it any longer. Lily was genuinely upset. He started to tell her the truth when James muttered.

"Sirius is right. She is a nutter—a totally psychotic _nutter_." James shook his head, clearly as surprised by the turn of events as Lily.

It was hard for even Remus to keep a straight face. The corner of his mouth twitched. He was simply too happy to pretend he was miserable. "Maybe she is," he said.

"I'm sorry, Remus," said Peter. "I really thought…what is that all over your robes?" He stared, distracted by the shimmering mess on Remus' chest.

Remus followed his gaze. "Oh, that would be mucus," he said flatly.

"_Iychh_," groaned Peter, wrinkling his nose. "That's disgusting."

"Really?" said Remus. "I thought it was rather wonderful, myself."

Peter looked at him, perplexed. James and Sirius glanced at one another, and Lily narrowed her eyes shrewdly.

"She has you so buggered," said James. "When _anyone _wipes snot all over you and you think it's wonderful, something is amiss."

Sirius gave Remus a discerning look.

"Are you winding us up, Remus?" asked Lily.

"I'm just answering your questions," he answered. "I can't help it if you aren't asking the right ones."

Lily looked like she might clobber him. "Oh, _really_? Well, then, let me be more specific. Are you and Lindi going out or _not_, Remus?"

Remus nearly laughed until he realized the truthful answer wasn't exactly laugh worthy. He hadn't had a chance to ask Lindi to the ball.

"No, I'm afraid we don't have any dates scheduled," he said seriously.

"Remus!" Lily sounded exasperated. "What does that mean, no dates _scheduled_? What is going on with you and Lindi?"

Finally, he smiled at her. "We really _don't_ have any dates scheduled, but only because you all came barging in before I had a chance to ask her. But I plan on remedying that at my earliest opportunity."

"And she'll say _yes_, right?" asked Lily eagerly.

Remus nodded, smiling. "I'm almost certain."

Lily positively beamed. "I knew it!" She rushed towards him, reaching out as if she were going to hug him. But instead, she slapped him hard on the shoulder. "You rotten prat! You had me worried!" Then she hugged him for a moment before pushing him to arms length. "Why are you only _almost_ certain?"

"I'm certain she'll go out with me eventually, but I'm afraid it will be too late to take her to the ball," he said resignedly. "She's probably already been asked."

"Yes, but she wouldn't have accepted," said Lily. "She likes _you_."

"Well, she has also been very angry with me," Remus reminded Lily. "I couldn't really blame her if she agreed to go with someone else."

"Well, I'll be surprised if she did, but there's only one way to find out," said Lily pointedly.

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After returning to Gryffindor Tower, Remus found himself unable to concentrate on anything other than what had happened with Lindi. He kept replaying it over and over in his mind so that he would never forget it, as if he ever could.

He could have killed his friends for showing up when they did. He didn't want Lindi to be in any more trouble with Madam Pince, but couldn't they have been a couple minutes later, or five? Then he would have had a chance to kiss her, and _maybe_ he would have even been lucid enough to ask her to the ball. It was going to drive him crazy not knowing if she already had a date, and he really needed to do some studying. His examinations were going to go poorly if he didn't. He had already been distracted for quite some time. His Christmas gift for Lindi also needed to be finished, now that he would actually have the opportunity to give it to her. That made him happy, considering how long he'd been working on it. Which reminded him; he hadn't confirmed plans for Lindi to come to his house either. Had Rosmerta given her permission before Will had shown up? Would she still want to go with him?

_Crap_! It was all going to drive him to total distraction. Now that he knew how Lindi felt about him, he should be relaxed. Well, maybe not relaxed, as he was so excited he doubted he would be able to sleep for a week. But he shouldn't be like this, worried about everything. He should be enjoying it. He considered just going down to the library and talking to her. Maybe he could get her attention and she could slip behind the stacks with him long enough for him to ask her to the ball. Of course, what if she wasn't in the library?

Remus sat his Transfiguration text on the bed, slid off and retrieved the Marauder's Map from Sirius' trunk, giving little notice to the curious glances of his friends.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said, tapping the parchment lightly with his wand. The lines and dots slowly appeared and he looked to the library. Just as he expected, it was quite busy. But where was Lindi?

He focused in so that the names were clear. What he found did not encourage him. Lindi appeared to be in the back, near the Restricted Section, and she was right beside Darlene, with Madam Pince nearby. How was he supposed to talk to her with them there? He knew the answer immediately; he _wasn't_, not tonight. He would just have to wait until tomorrow.

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The next day, Remus started to share Lindi's paranoia that there might be something to this curse. Every time he'd get close to asking her to the ball, something or someone would interfere. First, it was a first-year in a panic over a transfiguration gone wrong. The young girl had had her nose changed into a toadstool by the boy standing next to her. Remus didn't know if it had been an accident or not, but, being the only prefect in sight, he had been obligated to get the hysterical girl to the school nurse, then the boy to his Head of House. By the time Remus had gotten away from Professor Slughorn, the next session had started and he'd had to go straight to class.

Then, Remus had missed Lindi at lunch when Professor Flitwick had stopped him in the corridor. The Professor only wanted to tell him he'd called a meeting for the Dueling Team leaders, to discuss rescheduling the meet they had postponed after the deaths last month. But Professor Flitwick could be quite talkative at times. He was obviously happy about taking over as the Dueling Club Moderator, and Remus had been unable to get away.

After that, he didn't see Lindi again until they were in the Great Hall for dinner. The only thing that kept him from going insane was the coy smile she would flash him every few minutes. That was proof that he hadn't dreamed the whole thing. His friends sniggering at him only added to the certainty that he wasn't imagining the looks she was giving him. The way she blushed each time their eyes met…

She really _liked_ him. How on earth had this happened?

Remus couldn't stand it any longer. He was going to go over there and ask her to walk with him so he could invite her to the ball, and hopefully to his home, as well. He didn't care if his friends were sniggering at him, or if Darlene didn't like it, or if the whole school was gaping at him when she turned him down because she already had a date.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told his friends as he rose and headed for the other side of the hall.

He rounded the end of the Gryffindor table. To his utter dismay, Lindi rounded the end of the Ravenclaw table and headed for the doorway—accompanied by what appeared to be the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She saw him and smiled, pausing in the doorway. A few of her team mates went around her, but her captain, Jeffrey Daniels, stopped and glared at them.

"Are you coming or not, Lindi?" he asked impatiently.

"Can I just have a minute?"

Jeffrey smirked irritably. "_You_ are the one who is in a rush. I already had to reschedule the meeting to accommodate _your _detention schedule."

"Right—sorry," she said. She gave Remus an apologetic smile and shrugged. "I have to go. I'll see you—sometime."

_Craaap! _This had to be some sort of evil conspiracy.

Before he managed to talk himself into shouting across the Entrance Hall, _Will you go to the ball with me_? she was gone. At least his dignity was still in tact.

His friends joined him at the door and they made their way back to the tower.

Once more, Remus found himself sitting on his bed, trying to concentrate on his school work. It was hopeless. This was utterly ridiculous. He was a _Marauder_ for Merlin's sake! A true Marauder would be able to manage something as simple as asking a girl to a ball!

He set his _Confronting the Faceless_ text aside and slid off of his bed to retrieve the Marauder's Map. He found Lindi just where she had been the night before, and the library would be closing soon.

"James, may I borrow your Invisibility Cloak?" he asked.

His three friends looked up from what they were doing, and a knowing smile played on James' lips.

"Of course," he answered. "You know where it is."

"Thank you." Remus walked over and opened James' trunk. He retrieved the silvery fabric from beneath a stack of _Quidditch Quarterly_ magazines. "Could I also use someone's note parchment?"

"Sure," said Peter. He dug through his bag and withdrew a small scrap of blank parchment. Each of the Marauders had one. They had charmed a sheet of parchment so that when it had been torn into four parts, if writing on one piece, the words would actually appear on the others. It was much better than trying to pass notes in class. The only drawback was that one couldn't specify whose parchment would receive the message; it would appear on all three. At this point, Remus didn't care. If his friends wanted to see what he said to Lindi, so be it.

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He hurried down the stairs and through the corridors to the library, eager to get there before the librarian ushered the students out at eight. It would be much easier to do this without arousing suspicion if the library was crowded. Madam Pince was like an eagle watching over her nest in that library and seemed to see and hear things that would be missed by the eyes and ears of lesser mortals. At least with the students present, their muffled murmuring, scratching of quills, and turning of pages would help disguise the soft footfalls of his shoes and the nearly inaudible rustling of his robes beneath the cloak.

Remus darted between two of the stacks, slipped the cloak on, and then quietly approached the librarian's desk. Just beyond it, within the restricted section, Darlene was sitting at a table with a stack of old books lying in front of her. She looked quite bored and seemed to be replacing full library cards with new ones. The chair beside her was empty, but a quill and some parchment were lying on the table. Remus sneaked over the rope and gazed down at the messy writing scrawled across the parchment, Lindi's scribble.

He looked around for her, hoping to have a chance to catch her away from Darlene and Madam Pince, but she was already returning from the farthest stack of books. He decided to put the parchment down on her table before she arrived. He didn't think slipping it in front of her was such a good idea, as Lindi could be somewhat jumpy, and the last thing he needed was to have her shriek when a floating piece of parchment appeared out of thin air. He checked to make sure Darlene and Madam Pince were looking elsewhere and slid the scrap from beneath the cloak and onto the table. Then, he quietly walked back out of the restricted section to a place between the stacks that would give him an unobstructed view. He slipped a book off of the shelf and under the cloak, laid his bit of parchment on it and began to write.

_Hello, Lindi, it's Remus_.

Then he waited for her.

Lindi reached the table with a stack of dusty old tomes and sat them down. As she was taking her seat, she noticed the note and immediately glanced around. She actually looked right through him as her eyes searched the room. She turned the parchment over as if looking for the rest of the message. He waited for her to set it down before he continued writing.

_I need to talk to you._

Just as he had expected, she jerked and let out a small gasp when the writing appeared before her. Darlene looked at her sharply.

"What's the matter with you?" Darlene snarled.

"Oh, erm, nothing, I, er, I—I thought I saw a spider," Lindi sputtered.

Remus smiled to himself under the cloak. _Not a smooth lie, but effective enough_, he thought with relief.

Darlene went back to her tedious task. Lindi looked back at the parchment and waited, so he started writing again.

_I really wanted to talk to you face to face, but every time I try, something happens. So I have to resort to this. I want to ask you something. I hope you don't mind_.

She looked over at her quill thoughtfully, then picked it up and dipped it into the ink. After a slight hesitation, she set it to the parchment.

Her words appeared on his. _I don't mind. Can you read this?_

_Yes_, _but you don't need the ink_.

So, the means of communication was set and clear.

_Okay, where are you? _she wrote.

_Here, in the library._

Lindi looked up again and searched the area. There was a happy eagerness to her expression, which Remus liked very much. When she couldn't spot him she looked back down at the note parchment.

_Where?_ She wrote.

_Right in front of you_, he answered, knowing it would only torment her.

_No you aren't. I just looked_.

_I know. I was watching._ He found this rather fun. He liked flirting with her, and somehow, it was much easier with the anonymity of being hidden under the cloak.

She looked around quickly again_. Prove it. Tell me what I'm doing now._

_You are touching your nose, and twiddling your quill between your fingers._

Lindi giggled, causing Darlene to look over at her.

"What is the matter with you?" she hissed again.

Lindi looked embarrassed and put her hand over the parchment. "Nothing," she said softly. "I just thought of something funny."

"You are such a bloody freak," snarled Darlene.

"Quiet," snapped Madam Pince. "Haven't I given you enough to keep you busy?"

The girls assured her she had, and apologized. Lindi looked back down at the parchment, and Remus knew he better stop playing around or he'd miss yet another opportunity to ask her to the ball—and he wouldn't get many more. He knew he had been subconsciously delaying the moment when he might learn that he was going to have to watch her at the ball with someone else. But putting it off wouldn't change anything, and he would miss the chance to ask her himself, if by some miracle she was still available. So, he wrote…

_Lindi, I better get to the point. I was wondering if you had made plans to go to the ball with anyone_. He watched as she read his words, and waited with bated breath for her response.

She stared at the parchment, chewing her bottom lip, before finally setting the quill to the note. _Actually, I have had plans for a while now._

Remus felt the air let out of his hopes. _It's your own fault_, he thought. Then he reassured himself that she still liked him, and that they would go out another time. But he didn't know if he'd be able to stand seeing her with another man—watching someone else hold her as they danced. But what was done, was done. He set quill to parchment and tried to write steadily.

_I see. I figured as much. It's none of my business, but may I ask who you are going with? _

Lindi glanced around for him once more and he was glad she couldn't see the devastated look on his face. Then she continued to write. He watched anxiously, as the words formed on his scrap of parchment. _ Well, that's a bit of a problem, really. The man I had planned to go with hasn't seen fit to ask me yet. It's becoming a bit embarrassing._

Remus stared at the words, excitement welling up inside him. Had he really gotten this lucky?

_Then he must be an idiot_, he wrote. _Are you sure you want to go with someone who is so obviously a fool?_

She smiled and he could see her trying not to giggle as she put her hand up over the side of her face, shielding it from Darlene. _I just can't seem to help myself_, she wrote. _It's my first ball and I don't want to go if I can't go with Prince Charming, even if he is a bit of a berk once in a while._ _But, alas, he won't ask me._

Remus was so glad he was hidden under the cloak and didn't have to shield the smile that had bloomed on his own face. This really was fun._ Then he truly is a fool and doesn't deserve to go with you. I don't know about Prince Charming, but I know a berk who would love to ask you. _

She coughed to mask the giggle that escaped and waited for Darlene to look away again. _Well, I am getting a bit desperate._

He nearly snorted in amusement, but being the professional Marauder that he was, he maintained his composure. _Why couldn't it be this easy to flirt face to face?_ he wondered as he finally made his move.

_In that case_, w_ould you go to the ball with me, Lindi?_

Her face broke into an enormous grin and her cheeks glowed with a lovely blush_. I thought you would never ask. I'd love to!_

Remus stared at the words. Lindi was going to the ball with him. They were going on a real date!Remus knew he should be saying something else, but suddenly, he was so relieved and happy that he couldn't think of anything else to say. He was just grinning stupidly. Fortunately, no one could see him.

_Thank you for asking me, Remus_, she wrote after an awkward moment.

_You're welcome_. He cringed a bit, wishing he could vanish the words before she could read them, but it was too late. What on earth had happened to the easy flirtation? There must be a graceful way to conclude the conversation, but it eluded him. He soon realized that his awkwardness was a bit of a blessing in disguise, as it afforded him time to remember that he was almost forgetting to broach the subject of Christmas holidays at his house. Should he mention it? Would she think he was being too forward, now that they had gone beyond _just friends_? But he thought it would be just as awkward not to mention it, since they had already discussed it before he had been such a berk! So, he decided he might as well take the chance.

_I almost forgot. I would still love for you to come to my house for a couple of days, if you would still like to. _ He looked up at her to see her reaction. She was staring at the words. He quickly added,_ I know things are a little different now, but I never told Mum and Dad that you weren't coming, so the invitation is still open. _

Lindi looked slightly discomfited. Finally she rested the quill tip onto the parchment and wrote, _I'm not sure if Rosmerta will let me now. I sort of told her I…_Lindi looked up, searching again, her face drawn anxiously. Finally she continued._ I told her I hated you, Remus. I didn't really mean it, of course, but I was so…_she didn't finish her sentence, but sat with her head down, staring at the parchment.

_It's all right, Lindi. I understand. But the invitation is open, if you feel like asking her_. Then, he added for good measure, _I should_ _warn you that you will probably be accosted by Lily and pressured into asking. She really wants to get away from her sister's fiancé, and her parents will only let her come if you do._ He saw Lindi smile.

_Then I guess I should at least try. For Lily's sake_!

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Remus practically floated out of the library and back to Gryffindor Tower. He still didn't get much in the way of studying done, but at least it was due to dwelling on pleasant matters, instead of worrying. He was taking Lindinara Dellington, aka the woman of his dreams, to the Crystal Ball. He was going to be the one sitting with her, bringing her punch, holding her close during the slow dances…_Oh, I wish I was a better dancer_…and _kissing_ her good night. Great Godric Gryffindor, he was _finally _going to kiss her; could life be more perfect?

But it got even better when she informed him at dinner the next day that Rosmerta had agreed to let her spend a couple of days at his house, so long as his mum and dad were going to be there. He assured her they would be. He was nearly ecstatic (and so was Lily). Yes, life was perfect! It was all he could think about.

He somehow managed to get through his examinations. He was fairly certain he hadn't failed any of them, though he might have done better on a few if he hadn't been so distracted. But Remus wasn't nearly as concerned as he knew he should be. He just couldn't wait until the ball—and the kiss goodnight.

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And so, the day finally arrived. Exams and classes were finished and the day was their own. Remus had run into Lindi and Leanna at breakfast. They had informed him that they had been given permission to go into Hogsmeade to see Rosmerta. Leanna asked him to tell Sirius that she would meet him in the Entrance Hall at quarter to eight, and Lindi had bashfully agreed that she would do the same with _him_.

For his part, Remus had smiled dumbly and nodded his understanding, just able to mutter, "Alright."

What was the matter with the two of them? One would hardly believe that they had been good friends for quite a while now. They were suddenly acting like a couple of prepubescents with their first crushes.

But Remus couldn't help it. He just couldn't seem to think of anything to say. All he could think about when he looked at her was that first kiss looming ever closer. Lindi smiling and blushing as though she had read his mind only made matters worse. What on earth was he going to do when he met her for the ball? He really hoped he didn't stand there staring at her like a love sick berk.

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Remus was thankful for the distraction provided by the Christmas present he was still working on for Lindi. Lily had agreed to help him with the final charming that had been giving him trouble, and the two of them found a quiet room on second floor in which to work. It took them most of the day to finally manage to coordinate the motion and sound charms for the gift, but when it was done, Lily looked at him and beamed.

"She's going to _love_ it," she said.

"Do you think so?" Remus asked, suddenly worrying that Lindi would think it was silly or trite.

"It is so sweet, Remus," Lily assured him, and then let out a wistful sigh. "Someday I hope someone will feel this way about me."

Remus looked at her, a brow cocked pointedly.

"Don't look at me like that, Remus," she said smiling ruefully.

"You know—"

"No," Lily cut him off. "There might be someone who _says _he does, but that is just infatuation or wanting something you can't have. But this—this is just so thoughtful. I know you made this to show her how special you think she is, and _not_ to impress her." Lily shook her head with a sad little smile. "No, no one feels that way about me. He isn't mature enough to have feelings like this. Lindi is such a lucky girl."

Remus felt his face warming. If only being cared for was enough to make her lucky. But he was…_NOT going to think about it_! He was going to enjoy this, _dammit_!

"Well, thank you for helping me with it, Lily," he said.

"My pleasure," she answered and looked down at her watch. "Oh, I better go. We still have to set up the decorations and I want to finish so I'll have enough time to get all beautiful."

"Already done," he smiled.

Lily leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Lindi _really_ is a lucky girl," she said.

Remus felt his face warming again and Lily giggled as they walked out the door and headed towards the tower.

When Remus reached his room, Peter was taking a nap, and James and Sirius were no where to be found. They had probably gone for a romp in the forest as Prongs and Padfoot, or sneaked off into Hogsmeade to scavenge some of Rosmerta's mead or Firewhiskey. Remus hoped it was the romp in the woods. He really hoped they would be on their best behavior tonight.

Of course, what if they were down in the Great Hall sabotaging things? A quick check of the map told him they weren't, and he felt a bit guilty for suspecting his friends. But he didn't want anything to mess up this night.

He wanted it to be perfect.

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_**A/N: Please see my Author's Profile for information and some serious groveling. **_


	37. The Crystal Ball

**Chapter 37 The Crystal Ball**

**_A/N: If you read chapter 36 prior to the morning of November 13, 2006 U.S. time, I have made a few adjustments to it. I have tried to smooth out some of the rougher phrasing and added a little bit to the very end. It isn't vastly different, just a little smoother I hope, with that extra little paragraph at the end. I wanted you to know in case you were inclined to re-read. Thanks, moony._**

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By half past seven, Remus was so nervous that his palms were starting to sweat. He checked himself in the mirror once more, having just brushed his teeth, and eaten two Toothflossing Stringmints. He adjusted his dress robes, tugging on the ruff at his neck, and wishing they made dress robes as plain as their school robes. But at least his were a bit less ruffled than the ones Peter's mum had bought _him_.

Remus went back into his room and noticed Sirius and James seemed perfectly comfortable in their dress robes. They were huddled together, deep in conversation with Peter, who was absently pulling on his own ruff. Of course, being from wealthy pure-blood families, James and Sirius would have had many opportunities to get used to wearing the formal attire. But Remus had never worn anything so posh. He hoped Lindi didn't think he looked ridiculous, but apparently girls liked men in dress robes, so he would happily suffer through it. He checked his watch. It was twenty to eight; time to go. He slipped a couple more of the Toothflossing Stringmints into his pocket for good measure, and the four friends headed for the ball. They dropped James off in the common room to pick up his date.

James had gotten very lucky to get the date with Diana Murrow. Having waited until he found out Lily had already accepted the invitation from Hallam, James had been lucky there were any girls left to be asked. But Diana had recently broken up with her boyfriend of two years and found herself dateless. It was perfect really. Diana, a seventh year, was well aware of James' total infatuation with Lily, and not wanting to enter into a relationship so soon after her breakup, she had suggested the two of them go together. Yes, James had been lucky to get such a charming date. Not quite as lucky as Remus, but lucky just the same.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, it was crowded and noisy, as people met up with their partners. It was a lovely sight, with the girls in their different colored robes, quite a contrast to the normal black. Of course, most of the men seemed to be wearing basic black, with just a bit of color on the ruffs at their necks and cuffs. Some had even color coordinated the ruffs with their dates' robes. That was something Remus hadn't even considered. Of course, he didn't even know what color Lindi was wearing. He wondered if that would seem inconsiderate of him. Had he already made his first faux pas of the evening?

He, Sirius, and Peter made their way to the side of the staircase and waited for their dates to arrive. Remus hoped the girls wouldn't be long, so he didn't have time to get even more nervous than he already was.

Peter's date, a fifth year Ravenclaw named Lucy, was the first to arrive. She looked lovely in rose colored robes, and informed them that she had seen Leanna waiting in the common room.

"Leanna said to tell you that she and Lindi would be down shortly," Lucy told them.

"We'll go in and get a table," said Peter. James and Diana had arrived and the four of them went inside.

That left Remus and Sirius to wait for the girls—and wait. It seemed to take hours. Remus became more and more self conscious with each passing moment. He was so nervous; he wasn't sure what he should say when she finally came down. He remembered how he'd become so tongue tied that morning. What if he said something stupid, or worse, couldn't think of anything to say at all? What if he stepped on her toes when they danced, or spilled a drink on her?

"Nervous?" asked Sirius, grinning.

Remus realized he was tugging at his ruff. "A bit," he admitted, forcing his hands down to his sides. "You?"

Sirius laughed. "Nah, but it isn't my first date with the girl I've been in love with since I first laid eyes on her."

"Thank you, that makes me feel much better," Remus smirked and looked back towards the staircase. Sirius wasn't helping his nerves. Finally, Leanna appeared at the top of the stairs looking slightly annoyed in addition to absolutely stunning. Her royal blue silk robes swirled around her as she rounded the railing and floated quickly down the stairs. Sirius smiled at her appreciatively.

"It's about time," he said as he stepped forward and offered his hand. "And you look smashing, by the way." He leaned down and kissed her swiftly on the lips.

Remus was mildly envious of their situation, at the moment. While facing the first date and first_ kiss_ was terribly exciting, it would have been something of a comfort to have the same level of ease that Sirius had with Leanna.

"I'm sorry," Leanna said smiling. "I wanted to wait for Lindi, but she is taking _forever_. I finally told her she'd have to come down on her own."

"Is anything wrong?" asked Remus. Surely she wasn't having second thoughts.

Leanna rolled her eyes. "She is a nervous wreck. That's all. I've never seen her act so funny, and with Lindi, that's saying something."

"What do you mean, _funny_?" asked Remus.

"Just that Lindi doesn't usually pay that much attention to how she looks," Leanna explained. "But she has been getting ready for over _two hours_, ever since we got back from London."

"You went to London?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, Rosmerta took us to get Lindi some new robes. After Remus _finally_ invited her to the ball, she wanted some," Leanna smirked playfully at Remus. "All term, she had been planning on wearing some of Rosmerta's old ones, but suddenly, they weren't good enough."

"So, what is taking her so long to put them on?" asked Sirius.

"Well, she has to get her makeup perfect, doesn't she? And her hands are shaking so badly, she kept smearing her mascara and having to start all over again. I know she washed it all off at least five times," Leanna rolled her eyes good naturedly again and giggled. Remus had to admit he was feeling well chuffed that Lindi was apparently so excited about going out with him. "And I told her if she doesn't make up her mind and leave her hair alone, it was all going to fall out, and she wouldn't have to worry about it anyway. Up or down, twist or braid…She's an absolute mess. You'd think it was her wedding day or something."

They laughed for a moment as Remus' excitement grew, but then Leanna looked at him much more solemnly. "You know, you really hurt her before," she said bluntly. "But she's been very happy since you talked, and she was so excited when you asked her to the ball. But right now, she is _really_ nervous about this date. You better be nice to her."

Remus suddenly liked Leanna very much.

"You're scaring me, Leanna," said Sirius. "You sound like her big _brother_. Is there something I should know?"

Leanna swatted him on the arm and laughed. Remus had a wonderful image of the four of them double dating, once they managed to overcome the current tension between Leanna and _him_, and Lindi and Sirius. He hoped tonight would manage to diffuse it…assuming Lindi actually showed up. He noticed the Entrance Hall had become very quiet as the last of the couples entered the Great Hall. Where was she?

Just when he was ready to charge Ravenclaw Tower and drag her out, the distant sound of rapidly clicking heals drifted down from the staircase above. They came to an abrupt halt and he could hear a hissed, "_Blast_…bloody heels!" Then, the muffled sound of bare footfalls pattered on the flagstone floor. Someone was running down the long corridor. Shortly, he saw the swirl of blood red robes rounding the banister, and Lindi nearly flew over the far railing before managing to slow herself in her stocking feet. Her face rivaled the color of her robes when she looked down at the three of them watching her. She gracefully lifted her foot and replaced one of the perilously high heeled shoes, then the other, and smoothed her long hair back off of her face. So, she had decided to wear it down, Remus noticed. _Good_. He liked it that way, soft and inviting. A familiar pressure in his chest built instantly, making him feel the need to shout before his lungs exploded. She looked impossibly beautiful—and she was _his_ date.

"Now that we know you haven't been stood up, we'll see you inside," Sirius said, and he and Leanna left Remus to wait for Lindi, alone at the bottom of the stairs.

He felt his mouth going dry and the palms of his hands grow moist as he stared at her coming down the steps towards him. Her smile grew wider the closer she came, and all Remus could think was, _What on earth is this goddess doing here with me?_

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

For once, Remus was almost relieved to be in a rush. He absolutely couldn't think of a thing to say other than, _You are gorgeous_, or _I'm the luckiest man on earth_, or even worse, _I really want to kiss you right now_? Any of those things would only embarrass her and make him sound like an insanely lovesick berk. _Take a deep breath and_ c_alm down, Remus. _

"It's alright," he said. "You look—lovely."

"Thank you," she said, smiling demurely. "You do, too."

They stood staring at one another quite stupidly, as bashful as two painfully shy introverts on a blind date. Remus wasn't exactly outgoing, but he could usually carry on a reasonably coherent conversation, and he usually found it very easy to talk to Lindi. That was one of the things he liked so much about her. But suddenly, his fears were realized, and he couldn't think of a thing to say. Knowing they were actually on a date, all he could think about was kissing her. Sure, he had thought about it an awful lot, ever since he'd overheard Lily telling Lindi she should go out with him, but usually he could still function in her presence. But now he was afraid if he even opened his mouth the only thing that would come out would be, _can I kiss you_? When had he become so shallow? _Come on, Remus. If you don't think of something to talk about, this is going to be an excruciating date and you won't_ get_ to kiss her!_

Mercifully, he was saved by the sound of bells coming from the Great Hall. The Ball must be getting underway.

"We better hurry," he said and he extended his arm to her. At least that had come naturally, _thank goodness_, and she slipped her hand through and followed him into the hall.

Upon entering through the double doors, Lindi sighed excitedly and her grip tightened on his arm. "It looks so beautiful," she said softly, glancing around at the decorations.

It reminded Remus a bit of the Crystal Cove, the way everything glittered in the soft warm light. Crystal statues glistened against the back drop of the walls that had been draped in black velvety material. The night sky reflected in the ceiling was bright with gently falling snow that never reached the floor. Suspended in the air below the flakes were hundreds of sparkling prisms which cast colorful rainbows around the room. A large rainbow arced over a huge crystal sculpture of Hogwarts Castle, which stood as the backdrop for the dais upon which the staff table normally sat, but was now serving as the stage for the musicians. The popular band, The Hobgoblins, was to be headlining the ball, but for now, a small orchestra was playing chamber music softly in the background, as the last of the students took their seats.

Remus searched the many large round tables for his friends. He finally spotted them at a table tucked conveniently in a far corner, with a nice view of the stage. He led Lindi quickly past the glistening crystal statues that lined the perimeter of the Great Hall. They seemed to be depictions of prominent people or events from Hogwarts esteemed history, and were lit from within by the twinkling light of what must have been live luna flies. He decided it was a good thing Lindi had arrived too late to explore the decorations before the ball got started. This way, if he couldn't think of anything to say after dinner, at least he could take her around to look at them, giving them _something_ to talk about, other than his all-consuming desire to kiss her.

They reached the table and when Remus pulled the seat out for Lindi, he somehow managed to ram it into Leanna's knee. _Smooth, Remus, very smooth_. Fortunately, he was spared the need to carry on a conversation when Professor Dumbledore stood to make his opening address. Remus didn't really pay that much attention, as he was too busy worrying that the evening wasn't starting off the way he had hoped.

He managed to get through the formal meal without any _seriously_ gauche missteps, though next time he would order something a bit easier to eat with a knife and fork. What had he been thinking when he'd ordered the whole stuffed grouse? Luckily, his nerves had killed most of his appetite, so he didn't mind leaving half the meat on its bones, rather than continue to have the thing slip and slide all over his plate, knocking Brussels sprouts onto the white table cloth.

His conversation with Lindi continued to be basically nonexistent. She would look over at him expectantly, waiting for some brilliant opening remark and he would draw a complete blank. It was a nightmare from which he desperately hoped he would awaken soon. He was relieved when the dishes were finally cleared and the tables swept aside by the Headmaster, to allow room for the dancing. _Oh no…the dancing_…

Well, at least the music was so loud he couldn't be expected to converse about anything. Still, after he had stepped on her toes twice, he was so self-conscious that he would barely move. What on earth had happened to his _perfect_ night? Could things get any worse?

Remus was well aware that the answer to that question was almost always _yes_. Professor Dumbledore approached the podium when the dance floor cleared after The Hobgoblins took their first break.

"After watching—and thoroughly enjoying—your lovely and enthusiastic _dancing_," Professor Dumbledore said, a look on his face that hinted at his amusement. "I would like to take some time now to look back. After all, the theme of our ball is 'Celebrating our _History_ and looking forward to our future.' I would now like to see a celebration of that history, more specifically, our historical _dance_. Please join me for the Yule Waltz."

There was a great deal of groaning from the students, and they walked to the dance floor with little enthusiasm. As the dance progressed, Remus thought it might have been a great deal of fun if he had been more comfortable in his ability to dance it. But worrying about crushing Lindi's toes or cracking her skull with his elbow during the twirls took a great deal of the fun out of it. Apparently many of the others felt the same. As soon as the Waltz was finished, the floor cleared again, though the music continued. Remus and Lindi joined his friends at one of the refreshment tables.

Professor Dumbledore returned to the stage, undaunted. "I must admit, music and dance are two of my favorite things, and I hesitate to let these traditions die without a fight. Therefore, I propose a dance challenge—fifty points to the couple who best performs three of our most popular traditional dances. For those of you who have taken inter-house unity to heart, and are partnered with members of another house, that would be fifty points to each."

So, the Headmaster was not above bribery to get what he wanted. Still, he could have offered a thousand points and Remus would not have taken the challenge. He simply didn't know how to dance well enough, never having gone to a dance before in his life. He greatly regretted this fact when he saw the hopeful gleam in Lindi's eyes. He remembered that Lindi was supposed to be a very good dancer.

"I'm sorry, Lindi," he said, feeling more miserable by the moment. "I don't know the dances."

She smiled sweetly, but he knew she was disappointed.

Remus wondered why Sirius wasn't going to compete, but didn't mention it. It was none of his business. Still, fifty points for Gryffindor would have been nice, especially when the majority of those stepping out onto the dance floor seemed to be Slytherin, which made sense, really. It wasn't the only house with pure-bloods, who would be more likely to know the old dances, but it did have the greatest percentage of them.

"Look," said Peter. "Regulus is entering."

"That's your brother, isn't it?" Lucy asked Sirius. "Do you know the dances, too?"

"Yeah, I know them," Sirius said.

"Then you should enter," said Lucy. "Come on; you and Leanna can win both our houses fifty points."

"Oh, no," said Leanna chuckling. "I have two left feet. Lindi is the dancer."

"Great, Lindi and Sirius can enter then," said Lucy brightly. "We'd still both get fifty points.

A look passed between Lindi and Sirius and she glanced around awkwardly. "I'm not that good with a partner I've never practiced with," she said lamely.

"Lindi, you were giving us lessons," said Lucy, unconvinced.

"Well actually, Jeffrey was the one giving lessons; he'll probably win. I'm only good with someone who can lead me."

Sirius' brow cocked instinctively. Lindi didn't realize it, but she had just inadvertently challenged him. James must have caught it, too, and gave Sirius a final shove towards the fifty points.

"Well, Mrs. Black will be very proud if one of her sons comes home and tells her he won the traditional dance competition."

Sirius' grey eyes flashed. The prospect of forcing his mum to admit that Sirius was better at something than Regulus would be very enticing. The unintentional insult from Lindi and the chance at fifty points for Gryffindor combined to make an irresistible temptation for him. He looked first at Leanna. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not," she assured him.

"Moony?"

"If Lindi wants to," Remus said. He turned and saw the flustered look on her face. She glanced at Sirius again. From her expression, Remus could tell that the confrontation between the two of them was far from forgotten. Maybe this common goal was what they needed to get past it.

"What do you say, Dellington?" Sirius said. "Shall we give it a whirl?"

She looked back at Remus for support. "Go on," he said. "I know you really want to dance, and trust me; this is the best offer you will get all night. Sirius is good. _He_ won't cripple you."

"But I—," she started to argue. He detected a sad sort of disappointed look in her eyes that he didn't like at all.

"Come on, Lindi," said Lucy.

The conductor called the contestants forward, forcing Lindi's decision.

"Come on, Dellington. I don't bite," said Sirius, extending his hand. Lindi eyed him apprehensively for a moment then laid her hand in his and a sly grin broke on his face. "Well, not hard enough to draw blood, anyway. Do I, Leanna?" He waggled his brow.

It was hard to say whose face turned redder, but Leanna seemed to recover more quickly as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Sirius' booming laugh resonated through the room and Leanna smiled with satisfaction. Lindi, on the other hand, followed Sirius (actually, she was dragged) to the dance floor looking quite uneasy.

While Remus couldn't say he loved seeing Sirius clutching Lindi's hand, he _was_ happy to see him joking with her again. He needed for them to get along. So he pushed the little twinge of envy to the back of his mind and tried to enjoy the dancing.

The competition began with a charming, very ancient dance with an Old English name he couldn't remember. In no time, Lindi's apprehension had clearly melted away and she was caught up in the music and movement, smiling and swirling around Sirius happily. For his part, Sirius led her expertly through the steps. She followed his lead as deftly as if they had been partners for years. They were a pleasure to watch, or would have been but for the flickering hint of jealousy that ignited in Remus' stomach each time Sirius' hand slid round her waist and pulled her in tightly.

The second dance only made Remus feel worse. This one was rather exotic, with much more bodily contact than the lively old folk dance from before. Remus watched as Sirius guided Lindi around the floor, pressed closely to him with a hand that was resting a little lower on her back than Remus thought absolutely necessary. Actually, it was on her bum. And while he was thinking about it, Remus really didn't see any need for Sirius to slam her back into himself quite so forcefully after twirling her. Remus noticed that it made Lindi blush, and Sirius smiled down at her roguishly, knowing he was making her uncomfortable and getting a kick out of it. Still, it made the dance quite sensual when watching and listening to the ethereal music. _Dammit!_

"They make good dance partners, don't they?" a voice spoke in his ear.

He turned to find Lily standing next to him. "Yes," he said, trying not to sound as jealous as he felt. "I think they will probably win."

"I think you may be right. It's funny, if you didn't know them, you'd never believe that they got on about as well as cats and dogs, _off _of the dance floor." Lily smiled at him perceptively, as if she had just read his mind and wished to ease his worry.

He felt ashamed of his jealousy, but he just couldn't help himself. Seeing Lindi out there with Sirius, he couldn't help but feel inadequate. She was so beautiful and elegant and full of life. She belonged with someone equally attractive and sophisticated, charming and strong and—_whole_.

"I saw you come in," Lily went on pleasantly. "You look so good together."

Remus blushed at her attempt to make him feel better. He hated to think he was so very transparent. He was supposed to be good at hiding his feelings. Of course, he hadn't really been trying.

"Thank you, Lily," he said. "And you look beautiful. Where is Hallam?"

"He's dancing with Celia," she said. "I'm afraid I have no idea how to do those dances."

"Me neither," he said.

"I think I want to learn, though. It looks like a lot of fun, don't you think? Maybe we can get Hal and Lindi to teach us."

"That sounds like fun," he said.

"Speaking of fun, are you having a good time?"

"Yes," he said automatically. But at the skeptical look on her face, he knew she wasn't buying it. Lily was a good friend to him, and suddenly, he didn't feel like pretending. The truth was, he wasn't having fun. He might as well be honest with someone, and Lily was probably a good person to start with. He really could use her advice. But he felt like such an idiot.

"What's wrong, Remus?"

"Nothing," he answered.

"Come on, Remus, tell me," she insisted. "I've waited too long to see the two of you together. I feel sort of responsible for your happiness." She smiled teasingly. "If you don't tell me, I'll have to go ask Lindi."

He smiled defeatedly. Lily really could be relentless—and a wonderful person. So he told her about his night so far. He told her about how he had hit Leanna's knee with the chair, stepped on Lindi's toes, and been tempted to go back to the tower and get his secret note parchment, just so he might manage a halfway intelligent conversation. Maybe if he was hidden behind one of the black velvet drapes, he could think of something to say. He even told her about the stupid messy grouse.

Hearing it out loud only amplified his horror. So he was more than a little taken aback when Lily seemed to be trying not to laugh after he was finished with the wretched tale. Didn't she care that he was botching up the biggest night of his life?

"I'm sorry, Remus," she said, fighting a grin. "But if you were any more adorable, it would be a crime."

He stared at her blankly. He was a clumsy, dull prat and she thought it was _adorable_?

Lily chuckled. "I just can't get over what she does to you. I've never seen you so nervous. It's really so very sweet, but you are making yourself _miserable_. I don't think you realize just how she feels about you," she smiled sweetly now. "She's crazy about you _too_, Remus. Now I want you to stop being so insecure and take her and—there is a broom cupboard out there with your names on it. Go find it, before you drive yourself mad and really do botch it all up."

Remus couldn't have stopped his face reddening if he'd used a freezing charm. He knew Lily was right, but how on earth was he supposed to get Lindi into a broom cupboard and snog her when he couldn't even _talk_ to her. Sure, he'd almost kissed her—more than once, but it had just happened naturally. Well, actually, he had worked up the courage to get to that point, but this was different. Before, it had just been insane _hope_ driving him. Somehow, faced with the reality that they were actually going to have a relationship, he just froze.

A drum roll sounded and distracted him. They were announcing the winners. It came as no surprise when Sirius and Lindi's names were called. A moment of applause and she was walking back towards him.

"Go on, Remus," Lily urged him. "I want to see you smiling the next time we talk." And she started across the hall to find her date.

When Sirius and Lindi reached them, Leanna hugged Sirius and told him what a wonderful dancer he was. Remus shook his hand in congratulations.

"You're going to have to teach me how to do that," Remus said. Sirius laughed.

"Think you could force yourself to practice?" he said.

"If I have the right partner," Remus said, glancing at Lindi, and she smiled.

Lily was right. He had to do something. He tried to ignore the pounding in his chest and the fact that Sirius and Leanna were still standing there.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" he finally managed to speak to her.

She blinked rather awkwardly, but nodded, and they made their way out of the Great Hall, winding their way through the flood of students heading back inside, now that the Hobgoblins were starting to play again.

Remus directed her up the stairs. As they headed down the first corridor in silence, he cautiously reached over and gently took her by the hand. When she smiled up at him nervously, but grasped his hand tightly back, a wave of confidence broke within him. Maybe he didn't really need to _say_ anything.

He led her through the corridors and up more stairs until they were on the fourth floor of the castle. He had thought about taking her outside, but knew there would be others and he really wanted to be alone. He hadn't even considered an actual broom cupboard. That would be fine someday, _maybe_, but not for their first kiss. He wouldn't take her someplace he'd been with another girl. He wished he could take her back to the cove, but that was obviously not an option. He knew where they could go.

"Where are you taking me, Remus?" she finally broke the silence.

"It's a place we go when we don't want to be bothered," he answered. "It's a secret, so you can't tell anyone."

A little flicker of intrigue shined in her eyes. "I promise I won't. Erm…Does it have a toilet?"

"No," he almost laughed, and it felt good to break the tension. "Do you need one?"

She nodded, embarrassed. But he wouldn't get paranoid about the slight delay. There was a toilet just down the corridor. To his relief, she returned quickly and Remus couldn't help but smile when he caught a whiff of mint on her breath. That was very encouraging.

They passed a large mirror and Remus glanced around, listening for the sound of footsteps and pulled his wand. When he was sure they were alone, he released her hand and pulled the mirror away from the wall.

"Watch your step," he told her, as he held the frame open. He followed her inside and silently ignited the torches on the stone walls, then let the Mirror gently fall back into place. He stepped further into the wide passageway the Marauders had found in third year, and lit a fire in the pit they used to heat the damp space. He looked around and got the distinct impression that Sirius had set things up for a rendezvous of his own this evening. The bottle of elderberry wine sitting on the table they used for cards was the first hint. That was fine, so long as Sirius didn't show up anytime soon. If he did, he would just have to find someplace else (after Remus killed him!) He and Lindi had gotten there first.

He turned and looked at her, standing there in her formal robes. He wished he had someplace more elegant to take her, but she didn't seem to notice the rather dingy surroundings. She just stood, staring at him, waiting. She looked a bit like a scared animal, trapped in a corner, waiting to see if the man before her was friendly or planning to have her for dinner. He walked to her, desperate for the right words.

"Is this alright?"

She nodded, looking paler by the moment and he realized she was holding her breath. He reached out and took her hand, feeling it shaking and he smiled.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

"Then breathe, Lindi. I want to kiss you, not give you CPR."

And the breath she'd been holding came out in a nervous laugh. Maybe he should have just told her he wanted to kiss her from the start of the night and saved them both so much anxiety.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing," he said, reaching up and smoothing her hair back off of her face.

She trembled and started breathing quickly then, and he feared she might hyperventilate. Maybe he should just hurry up and get this over with before she fainted.

But he didn't want to rush it. They were alone, with no one looking for them, no detention to get to, no curfew to make. They both knew why they were there and had come voluntarily. The only way he was _not _going to kiss her was if they really were cursed, and in that case, it wouldn't matter if he hurried or not.

She looked up at him and tilted her head slightly.

"What is CPR?"

_Oh, for the love of Merlin_…now_ we can talk?_ Why did he have to pick this moment to think of something to say that would get her talking? He almost told her to never mind, but Remus knew her well enough to know that if her curiosity was not satisfied, she would be distracted, and the last thing he wanted was to kiss her while she was wondering about bloody CPR.

"It stands for…er, I'm not sure. Circulo pulmonic respiration? Something like that. It's a medical thing that Muggles do when someone's heart stops beating or they can't breathe."

"Oh," she looked confused. "How could you give it to me?"

He smiled, not believing they were talking about this, now. "I would put my mouth over yours and blow air into it."

She looked positively incredulous as her face flushed. "You are making that up!"

"I promise I'm not. My grandmother and I witnessed it in the underground one summer a few years ago. So, it is real, but I really don't know that much about it." _Now, can we please not talk about it anymore, and get back to what we were about to do?_

"Isn't it amazing what Muggles come up with? I suppose if you think about it, it would be a very good way to get air into someone's lungs. I wonder how—,"

Remus put his hand over her mouth. "Lindi, please shut up."

Her face grew warm under his hand and he hoped he hadn't offended her, but _bloody hell_.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But I _really_ would like to kiss you." He pulled his hand away from her face before the heat coming off it burned him. Never in his fantasies did he end up practically begging her for a kiss, but _dammit_, if that was what it took, he'd grovel.

She looked mortified and buried her face in his robes and groaned—or was she giggling? _Crap_! He hoped he hadn't just completely destroyed the mood. But he had to do it; he knew how she could ramble when she was nervous. Of course, embarrassing or offending her wasn't going to help him. _Way to go, Remus._

But she looked up at him, still clutching his robes in her fists, and there was a keen glimmer in her eyes.

"I'd like for you to, too," she said so softly he could barely hear her.

_Ah, thank heavens, _he nearly sighed

He reached up and took her face tenderly in his hands. _Just do it, Remus, before you lose the chance._ He swallowed hard, trying to force his pounding heart back down into his chest where it belonged. He leaned down, watching her as she watched him. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion. Lindi's wide eyes were unblinking as they stared at his mouth, drawing nearer and nearer her own. He might have laughed when her eyes started to cross just before she finally closed them, but for the fact that he could hardly breathe. He was _really_ going to do it this time. But he paused for an instant, savoring the moment. He wanted to remember everything about it, the way she looked, all flushed and lovely; the way she smelled, all spice and warmth; the sound of the blood rushing in his ears, drowning out all other sounds; the little shiver that passed through her as his lips brushed delicately against hers. Then finally, at long last, he felt the warm, velvety softness of her lips pressed gently under his for one glorious moment of bliss.


	38. Don't Drink the Punch

**Chapter 38 Don't Drink the Punch**

Reluctantly, Remus pulled back, not wanting the moment to end, but eager to know how Lindi felt. She stood there, eyes still closed, as if she hadn't noticed the kiss was over. Slowly, her lashes fluttered open and she gazed up at him. A dreamy smile crossed her lips. Remus' stomach did a complete flip as he realized she must have liked it. His butterflies were flapping about madly when she tilted her head up a little more, inviting him to kiss her again. He gladly obliged, and when he lowered his lips to hers once more, he felt her return his kiss this time, pressing her lips to his softly. A tingling current flowed through him. After all this time and all they'd been through, they were finally together. They were friends, and more…and they were _finally_ kissing, a slow, tender kiss.

Finally, he drew back and looked down at her. He didn't know what to say, but he just didn't care. Words simply were not necessary just now. He slid his hand slowly to her mouth and wiped away a tiny smudge of lipstick. She smiled, blushing, but didn't look away. Part of him wanted to pull her up and start kissing her again and not stop until they had to board the train for home next morning.

But the other part of him wanted to cherish the splendor they had just shared, _the first kiss_…sweet and pure. He didn't want the memory of it to be lost in a blur of snogging. Not that he didn't have an intense desire to snog her until his lips fell off, but, looking into her eyes, he knew there would be time for that later.

But for now, they had a single perfect moment.

If they left, it would stay that way, indelibly etched in his memory.

"We should go back to the ball," he said in a hushed voice, not wanting to disturb the lingering mood.

There was a slight hesitation and then she whispered, "Okay." But they stood there, holding on to one another, both seemingly unwilling to make the first move apart. Remus wanted to kiss her again, but was afraid if he did he would never be able to stop.

"Okay," he finally said, letting go of her and taking her hand as he headed for the opening.

They walked silently to it, and he pressed his ear to the back of the mirror, listening for sounds in the corridor. Once he was sure it was clear, he pushed the mirror out and held it for her. She glanced up at him as she slipped through, and in the brief instant their eyes met, he noticed a subtle look of…was that doubt?

Remus knew what she was thinking; she was worried that he didn't try to kiss her more. _What if I'm no good at it?_ flashed through his memory. How could she be so insecure? He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back inside.

"Lindi," he said desperately. The look in her eyes nearly melted him to the floor. He reached up, clasping her head in his hands, and gazed into her eyes, ready to tell her he _loved_ kissing her. Instead, he found himself actually doing it. After all, actions speak louder than words.

The kiss was long and firm, filled with emotion that had been building for months. He wanted to leave her with no doubt about his feelings for her. When he finally released her, he was completely breathless.

"_Now_ we really should go," he said. "I'm afraid if we don't, we'll miss the entire ball."

The smile that graced her lovely flushed face assured him that he had done the right thing. Maybe he wasn't such a clumsy and dull prat after all. Suddenly, the night was more perfect than he could have dreamed. He even felt like taking her for a turn on the dance floor.

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They walked back down to the Great Hall, hand in hand. At first, they shared only knowing smiles and a companionable silence. But shortly, they were talking and laughing, discussing the advantages of CPR.

"Mouth to mouth, eh?" Lindi giggled, the balls of her cheeks turning pink. "Well, if I ever stop breathing, I won't hex you if you give it to me."

"That's a relief to know," Remus teased. He didn't point out that she would be unlikely to hex him (or anybody else, for that matter) for just about anything.

They descended the stairs into the crowded Entrance Hall. The band was obviously on another break and students were going out onto the front steps to cool off. He saw James and Diana standing in a corner, sweat sticking James' fringe to his forehead. They must have been dancing a lot. Just then, Sirius and Leanna came in from the front steps and joined them.

Remus guided Lindi in that direction and James looked up, shooting him a grin.

"So, where have you two been?" James asked (as if he didn't know).

"We just went for a walk," Remus answered.

"Ah," said Sirius. "Good walk I hope?"

Remus and Lindi shared a glance. "Yes, it was, thanks," said Remus. He looked back up and just when he felt the goofy grin breaking uncontrollably on his face, a flash flared in his eyes. Someone had taken their picture. He knew he would probably look ridiculous, but he didn't care. He didn't even care about the rather immature way his friends were smirking at one another and him, as if none of them had ever kissed a girl before.

They all went back into the ball and found Peter and Lucy at one of the tables along the wall, laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Sirius.

"Have you done the crystal ball?" Peter asked in response.

"No, there's been too much of a line," said James.

"What does it do?" asked Lindi.

"You put your hand on a knob and somehow, it forms an image of you inside the crystal ball," Peter explained. "But it shows you in the future."

"Of course, it's just a _joke_," Lucy interrupted. She hit Peter on the arm when he burst out laughing.

"Lucy's going to be a huge singing star and wear red leather and spiked purple hair," Peter nearly choked on his laughter.

"Well, Mr. Azkaban _detainee_," Lucy smirked. "Those striped pajamas weren't exactly posh."

"You're going to be in Azkaban?" barked Sirius. "I can see that." And the friends shared a good laugh, making plans to try the crystal ball when the line dwindled.

After a short time, Leanna and Lindi made a trip to the bathroom. Remus had a feeling Lindi probably didn't _need_ to go, as she had gone a little earlier and hadn't had anything to drink since, but he could tell that Leanna had been dying to get Lindi alone since she and Remus had returned from their _walk_.

"Oi, Moony, I think I see smoke coming out of your ears," James teased, after the girls were gone. "They have to be burning."

In order to prevent any further embarrassing comments, Remus excused himself to go get drinks. He was a bit thirsty at this point.

He took a bottle of butterbeer for himself and sat it on the table while he filled a glass with punch for Lindi. A shadow crossed the table as someone walked up to his side.

"So, you're here with Dellington."

The hair on Remus neck prickled at the sneering voice. He really didn't want to have to deal with anything unpleasant tonight, now that things were going so well.

"Yes, I am," he said calmly.

"Let me guess—that potion you botched was actually Amortentia and you finally managed to get it somehow," said Severus.

Remus smiled patiently. He would not allow Severus to goad him into an argument. Nothing, _absolutely nothing,_ was going to ruin the rest of this night. He glanced over at the table where his friends sat, thankful that they were clearly engrossed in their conversation.

"Yes," hissed Severus, following Remus gaze. "I suppose the four of you _might_ be able to muster enough intelligence between you to concoct it, though I must admit, I'm amazed."

"If you'll excuse me, Severus, Lindi is waiting for her punch," Remus said politely.

"Don't forget to spike it," said Severus. "Amortentia is powerful, but it isn't permanent."

"Thank you for the tip," said Remus. _You bloody arse!_

"By the way," continued Severus. Remus considered simply ignoring him, but it wasn't in his nature to be rude. He turned back around. "Interesting that you were injured working on a potion…"

"Why is that?" asked Remus, a sense of apprehension coming over him.

"I was in the Potions Dungeon all that evening. I didn't see you or your friends there _at all_." Severus raised a brow accusingly.

"That's because we weren't in the Potions Dungeon," said Remus evenly.

"Obviously," snarled Severus. "And you just happened to have all the necessary Potions ingredients handy, as you never once needed to visit the stores."

"We planned carefully," said Remus. "Now I would really like to get back to my date. Goodbye, Severus."

Remus headed back to the table and his friends, glad to get away from the suspicious accusations. He assured himself that Severus was simply fishing, and Remus felt confident that he hadn't provided any extra bait.

Still, it worried him that Severus had given the situation any consideration at all. Why couldn't he just stay out of their affairs? Remus tried to set the worry aside so he could enjoy the evening with Lindi and his friends.

He sat the drinks down on the table, noting that Diana and Lucy had disappeared. He assumed they had decided they needed to visit the lavatory, too.

"What did Snivellus want?" asked Sirius. Obviously they had seen the exchange. Remus was very relieved that they had seen fit to let him handle it on his own. He filled them in on the confrontation.

"One of these days, he's going to stick his ugly conk where it doesn't belong, and it's going to get ripped off," said Sirius.

"Yeah," said James, nodding. "Why can't that greasy git mind his own business? I don't know why he's so concerned about what you do."

"I'm telling you; he fancies Moony," Sirius said, starting to grin.

"Please don't," said Remus. While he preferred the teasing to them planning some sort of retaliation, he felt a little sickened by the joke. It was hard to imagine Severus fancying _anyone_, but…Remus shuddered.

His friends sniggered. "It does sound like he's a bit jealous that you are here with Lindi," Peter added to the teasing.

"Then he's jealous of me because he fancies _her_. That is a slightly more plausible explanation," said Remus. He imagined that if Severus fancied anyone, it might be Lindi. After all, she was _nearly_ perfect. Even Severus had to see that.

But Remus didn't want to think about Severus thinking about Lindi like that, any more than he wanted to think about Severus thinking about him. _Ughhh…_ And it didn't explain why Severus was so interested in him and the Marauders' activities, since that had started long before Lindi had arrived at Hogwarts.

But Remus didn't want to dwell on that. He changed the subject. They discussed the visit to his parents' house the next morning. It was a short conversation, as they didn't really have big plans. They were simply going to relax and be spontaneous, even if they spontaneously did absolutely nothing.

The girls returned and the Hobgoblins took the stage again. Remus and Lindi joined his friends out on the open floor, beneath the giant crystal that hung suspended above them. When the music started, they all danced amid the thousands of rainbows radiating from the spinning prism, if one could call it dancing. Remus tried not to recall the image of Sirius and Lindi gliding gracefully around the room, Sirius' hands on her, their bodies pressed together as he so expertly guided her across the floor. One of these days, Remus was definitely going to have to learn to dance like that, but for now, he followed everyone else and flailed around like a lunatic. They certainly didn't look suave and debonair, but they were definitely having fun, and Remus only stepped on her foot once. Then, of course, there was the pleasure of the occasional and much too infrequent slow dance. Again, it didn't have the grace and style of the formal dances Sirius had led her in, but it gave Remus the chance to hold her tightly to himself. It was wonderful, even if they were just swaying back and forth in circles. He didn't even notice when his friends left the dance floor and wandered off.

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Remus and Lindi danced the entire set, until Remus felt as though his legs would give way. When the band finally took a break, Lindi looked up grinning and groaned. Even she was out of breath.

"I need to sit down. I think my toes might be bleeding," she said. "I need to put another cushioning charm on these shoes."

"Alright," Remus said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I need to go to the bathroom. I'll meet you back at the table."

"Alright, but if I'm not there, I'll be talking to Em and Hilda. They're right over there," Lindi said, pointing across the room.

When Remus returned to the ball, he spotted Lindi standing with her friends, talking animatedly. She looked like she was enjoying her conversation, so he decided to go to the table and wait for her to finish. On his way, he picked up another butterbeer for himself and a cup of punch for Lindi. She already had one in her hand, but they had been dancing so much, he was parched and thought she might like another, as well. In any case, he would have it for her if she did.

As he filled the cup, he couldn't help but overhear an argument brewing between a couple standing to the side of the refreshment table. He was amazed at the things they were saying to one another. Not that he was exactly a master of dating etiquette, but he knew better than to tell a date her robes showed her stomach bulges. He walked away quickly, not wanting to get caught in the middle when things got _really_ ugly. The night was going far too well to be interrupted by having to perform prefect duties.

He made his way back to the table where Sirius, James, and Peter sat with their dates. As he weaved his way through the throng of people, he got the feeling something strange was going on. Half of the people he passed seemed to be having an argument of some sort. Didn't they all realize what an amazingly wondrous night this was? But when he was nearly doused with punch as a girl threw the contents of her cup into the face of a boy standing next to her, he knew something was wrong. His suspicions were further aroused when he noticed his three friends laughing and pointing at a fracas that had erupted within a circle of Slytherins on the far side of the room. Professor McGonagall was pushing her way to the center in order to break it up.

He sat his drinks on the table and took a seat. "What is going on?" he asked.

"Dunno, but tempers seem to be flaring, don't they?" said James, and he and Sirius shared an amused look.

"Yes, they do," said Remus, eyeing them suspiciously. "I almost got a cup of punch in the face, walking past another argument."

"You aren't drinking that punch, are you?" asked Sirius, nodding towards the cup in front of Remus.

"No, I got it for Lindi. Why, do you want it?"

"No," said Sirius quickly. "But thanks."

James sniggered quietly.

"You can have it; it's only going to get warm. I'll get her some when she gets back," Remus said.

"No, really," said Sirius. "I'm fine." He leaned over and whispered under his breath, "But don't let Lindi drink it."

Remus started to ask him why not, knowing that they had done something that couldn't be considered being on their best behavior, when Leanna spoke up.

"Where is Lindi, anyway?" she asked.

"She's over there, talking to Em and Hilda," said Remus, nodding in Lindi's direction.

"Uh, oh," muttered James, glancing at the three girls.

"Uh, oh, what?" asked Remus. He looked back across the hall.

He saw Lindi cover her mouth with her open hand, apparently giggling, and in her other hand was a _cup of punch_. Remus got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Emmeline and Hilda laughed as Lindi turned to walk away. She glanced in his direction and smiled brightly when she saw him and headed in his direction. Remus wasn't sure but she seemed to be talking to herself. That was very strange. But something apparently distracted her, causing her to pause and look to the side. Remus followed her gaze.

_Oh, no…Darlene_….

Darlene was saying something to Lindi that made her frown. Constance, who was standing with Darlene along with their dates, looked uncomfortable, and grabbed Darlene by the arm, pulling her away. Remus wondered if he should go and see what was going on. Hopefully, Lindi would just ignore Darlene, and hurry back so that they could get on with their lovely evening without incident. Knowing Lindi as he did, he felt sure that she would. But just as Constance had convinced Darlene to turn away, Lindi said something, prompting her to turn back. Whatever Darlene said in response, made Lindi's mouth drop. Remus could see her sputtering, struggling for a reply. He stood up.

"What's wrong?" asked Peter.

Before Remus could answer, Lindi had said something back to Darlene that clearly enraged her. Darlene made a reach for what Remus assumed was her wand, but she couldn't seem to find it in her dress robes. _Thank goodness_, Remus breathed a sigh of relief. But Lindi said something else, and in an obvious fury, Darlene pulled her hand back and slapped Lindi hard on the face.

_Oh, crap_! Remus rushed forward, trying to make his way through the crowded hall.

"Bloody hell," he heard Peter say.

Before Remus could reach the girls, a full blown cat fight had erupted. Darlene grabbed Lindi by the hair as she was trying to walk away and yanked her back hard. The girls were slapping and clawing at each other. Remus picked up his pace, pushing people out of his way, eager to stop the fight before Lindi was hurt, or one of the professors spotted them. Fortunately, there were plenty of other disputes to keep the staff distracted. As Remus got closer, he could hear the things the girls were saying.

"You nasty little slag! Little Miss Goody-two-shoes—I saw you coming back from upstairs. Had a nice shag, did you?" snarled Darlene. She had grabbed Lindi around the neck in a headlock.

"_Arghhh_, you are such a vulgar little bi..._arhhh_, that hurts!" cried Lindi, and she yanked on a fistful of Darlene's hair, soliciting a yelp of pain in return.

Remus finally broke through the ring of students who were watching in amazement, and pulled Darlene off of Lindi.

"Get off me, you bloody git," Darlene spat nastily.

Remus glared at her date. "Get her out of here!" he snapped, and the fifth year Slytherin grinned and dragged her away, trailing a string of obscenities and accusations behind her.

"That—that—that _BITCH_!" cried Lindi. She was shaking with rage and embarrassment.

Remus and Leanna led her through the crowd and out of the Great Hall to the shadows beneath the staircase. The entire way, Lindi railed about how awful Darlene was or how embarrassed she felt.

"I'll never be able to show my face again," she moaned. "Now everyone will think Remus and I have been shagging! But we weren't! We only kissed. He didn't even try to touch my br—"

"Lindi!" Leanna cut her off.

_Thank goodness_. James and Sirius looked fit to burst. Diana looked at Remus and grinned, making his face grow warm.

"Don't worry about it," continued Leanna. "No one believes Darlene. Everybody knows she's just trying to pick a fight."

"Yes, but why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? I shouldn't have let her get to me. But she's so _hateful_! I'm so sick of it! I just couldn't help it!" Lindi took a deep breath and hung her head. She reached up and touched a piece of fabric that had come loose from the bodice of her robes and groaned.

"Oh, no, my robes—she tore my robes. That rotten little—_Ooohh_, that _bitch_ tore my beautiful robes!" she cried. "It took almost every knut I made last summer to buy these. I had to put up with nasty git drunkards trying to peek down my top and groping my arse for that money!" She looked up and cringed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that—but dammit, it's the truth!"

Remus stared in amazement. What on earth had they put in that punch? He didn't find her bluntness particularly attractive, but it was nice to know that somewhere, hidden behind that demure, genteel exterior, there was a bit of fire.

"We'll fix them, Lindi," said Leanna, calmly, pulling out her wand. She looked up and made a funny face at them, amazed at Lindi's outburst, too.

"No!" said Lindi, pushing Leanna's wand aside. "I appreciate it, Leanna, but I don't want the repair to show. You're pretty good, but you still leave seams. Remember that patch you made on your black chemise. You can really tell it's been mended."

Leanna gave her a slightly offended look. "You said it looked good," she said.

"Well, yes," said Lindi. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, and since I didn't figure anyone would be seeing it, I didn't think it would matter."

Leanna looked a little embarrassed.

"Oh, no," said Lindi. "Someone saw it. I bet it was Sirius. Of course, he's probably seen more than—"

"Lindi!" cried Leanna.

"What?" Lindi asked, distracted from her train of thought.

"Your _robes_…we were talking about your robes," said Leanna, clearly determined to change the subject. Remus could hardly blame her. "Do you want me to help you mend them or not?"

"No, thank you. I want to take them back to Madam Malkin. She charges a fortune, but she'll make them look like new. I've a good mind to send the bill to Darlene's mum and dad!" Lindi looked back at the torn fabric and sighed. "Oh she is such a _bitch_!"

Leanna looked bewildered. "Lindi, what is going on? How on earth did you end up fighting?" she asked.

"I was just walking back from talking to Em and Hilda, and Darlene started saying things to me, some pretty hateful things. I think she's drunk! She is such a nasty little—_bitch_!" Lindi put her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry; my mouth is horrible. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Sirius, James, and Peter tried their best not to laugh. Remus knew they had something to do with all this and he wanted to know what it was. He left Leanna to calm Lindi, and motioned his friends aside. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard from inside the Great Hall and the ruckus grew louder. Lucy and Diana rushed to see what had happened.

"Okay, what is in the punch?" Remus asked discreetly, glaring at them. "Is she drunk?"

"What makes you so sure we know?" asked James.

"Because I _know_ you; now what did you do? You had to do more than spike it with Firewhiskey." Remus looked at them accusingly. Before they could answer, Lindi's voice rose shrilly.

"And _then_, she said the only reason Remus was with me was because I have big bristols and wiggle my arse in his face," she said. "Which is not true! First of all, they aren't _that _big, and I don't wiggle it in anyone's face. And Remus _likes_ me. He couldn't care less about my bristols or my arse." She turned and looked him in the eye. "Could you, Remus?"

Remus blinked. Several people standing on the stairs leaned over the banister to look at him, sniggering. "Erm…er…" How on earth was he supposed to answer that question without blatantly lying? "That is definitely _not_ the reason I asked you to the ball. You know Darlene is just trying to cause trouble."

Sirius, James, and Peter looked like their heads might explode from holding in their laughter.

"I know; she's just jealous!" Lindi snapped. Suddenly, the look in her eyes softened as she smiled at him. "I can't really blame her, though. She knows what a great kisser you are."

_Oh, great Godric Gryffindor! _What had they put in the bloody punch? He couldn't even look at the three sniggering idiots standing beside him. Even Leanna sniggered.

Lindi looked around. "Did I just say that out loud?" she asked.

Unable to stop himself grinning, Remus nodded.

"Oh, _crap_," Lindi moaned, covering her face in her hands. "What is the matter with me? I can't believe I just told everyone you are a great kisser—even though you are." She flinched and looked up, completely mortified. "I said it again. I can't help it. But you really are, and I really want you to kiss me some more. _Ahhrr_…" she cried as their friends ceased trying not to laugh. She looked over at Leanna. "Help…I have to get out of here before I say something _really_ embarrassing."

"Such as?" asked Sirius eagerly.

"I don't know," she said shrilly. "I might say…." She clasped her hands hard over her mouth, muffling whatever embarrassing thing she was saying and turned and bolted across the hall and up the stairs. She only got to the third step when she tripped on the hem of her robes and fell forward, forcing herself to release her mouth. "…just wonderful. Now I won't be able to kiss him any…" and she covered her mouth with one hand again, grabbed up her robes with the other so she wouldn't step on them, and dashed up the stairs.

"Lindi, wait!" called Remus, rushing behind her.

She stopped and turned to him, holding her mouth tightly.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

She removed her hand from her mouth. "Somewhere where I won't say anything I don't want to say to anyone. I think I'll go to…" she clamped down on her mouth again, turned and darted the rest of the way up the stairs and out of sight.

Remus almost followed her, but knew she didn't want to be near anyone, even him. While his curiosity was definitely peaked and the temptation to hear what she might have to say was great, he also knew it wasn't fair to take advantage of whatever had been done to her.

Instead, he turned and glared at his friends. Thanks to them, his date was now in hiding, the date that he had been waiting to have for months, the date that apparently really wanted _to be kissing him_!

He started back towards them, determined to get an explanation and to find out just how long Lindi was going to be affected. But the sound of shattering glass echoed through the doorway to the Great Hall, making him turn to look. Lucy stuck her head through and waved, motioning them to join her. Her eyes were wide with wonder at whatever was going on inside. Peter rushed to the doorway, his own eyes popping.

Suddenly, there was an abrupt silence from inside the Great Hall. "May I have your attention," Professor Dumbledore's voice reverberated through the hall. Remus and the others walked to the doorway and looked inside. He could barely believe the chaos in front of him. Obviously, the Headmaster had placed a Silencing Charm in addition to a Freezing Charm on the entire room. Several of the crystal statues lay in ruins and the giant crystal ball had been shattered and glass fragments were frozen, suspended in midair. Numerous students were caught holding their wands, and more than a couple of outright brawls had been halted, students' fists stopped in mid swing.

"I believe it is time for the ball to come to a close," the Headmaster said. He waved his wand and the glass fragments disappeared from the air. "If all professors, the Head Boy and Girl, and prefects could see to it that all those affected make it safely to their rooms, please." He waved his wand, freeing the staff from the spells so they could do what he asked, and Remus went forward with the rest of the prefects and professors. "I will remove the Silencing Charm from the rest when the danger has passed. Oh, and Happy Christmas to you all."

Professor Dumbledore waved his wand over the fighting students, and their wands and fists were lowered and pressed to their sides. Then he lifted the Freezing Charm so that they could return to their dormitories. Now that no one could say anything insulting to anyone else, they went fairly calmly to their rooms. Remus got the feeling it might take a while for some of the hurt feelings to subside. But as long as they weren't attacking each other, his job was finished, and he could finally go find out what his friends had done. But more importantly, he could go find Lindi.

Remus made his way towards Gryffindor Tower to retrieve the Marauder's Map, but ran into Lily and Hallam rounding a corner. They were discussing the incident and had apparently just finished taking some rather irate Hufflepuffs back to their dormitories.

"Hi, Remus, what are you doing? " Lily asked.

"I just finished getting some of the Ravenclaws back to their dormitory. Unfortunately, two of their prefects were affected by whatever…" Remus paused before adding _whatever was put in the punch_. He wasn't sure that the cause of the disruptions had been linked to the punch and didn't want to incriminate his friends. "…by whatever happened."

"Well, where is Lindi?"

"I don't know. I need to find her and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

"Why, wasn't she with you?" asked Lily.

"No, she ran away when she started saying all sorts of things, so she wouldn't embarrass herself or anyone else. I'm afraid she was a victim of—whatever happened," said Remus.

"So you weren't involved then," said Lily, seeming to be relieved and a bit surprised. "I thought for sure it was you and those friends of yours. I'm so glad it wasn't. Otherwise, I don't think I could have spent the next couple of days without trying to _kill _you all. But I guess it's safe to say you wouldn't have let Lindi get involved if you had been behind it."

"No, I certainly wouldn't have," said Remus. A huge pang of guilt hit him, but he simply couldn't admit that it had been his friends. He was looking so forward to the visit at his house and he didn't want this to ruin it. Besides, he didn't know exactly what had transpired. Maybe it was _remotely _possible that his friends hadn't actually been responsible. _Right, Remus…You don't believe that for a half a second_.

"Well, do you need some help finding her?" asked Hallam.

"No, thank you. I'm pretty sure I know where to look," said Remus, and he noticed the pleased look on the young man's face.

"Okay, well, have a Happy Christmas," said Hallam cheerfully. Clearly, he didn't want to spend the rest of his evening with Lily looking for Remus' date, and Remus could hardly blame him.

"Thanks, Hal, you too," said Remus.

"I'll see you bright and early in the morning," said Lily. "So don't stay out _too _late." She grinned mischievously.

Remus tried his best not to blush, but it was hopeless. He turned and continued quickly towards Gryffindor Tower. He checked his watch; it was a couple minutes past midnight. The ball should only now be starting to break up. At least they had waited until shortly before it was supposed to be over before they chose to ruin it. How long had it been since Lindi had run away? It couldn't have been more than a half hour or so.

Remus finally entered the corridor to Gryffindor House. He passed several couples saying their goodnights and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She and her friend were giggling like school girls, and Remus thought the Fat Lady sounded a bit on the tipsy side when she asked for the password.

"Brandy butter," he said, and she admitted him into the opening.

There were more people in the Common Room than would normally be there this late on an ordinary night, but a few were lingering about apparently not wanting the festivities to end. Couples were scattered about the room, mostly snogging in the shadows. Remus spotted James and Diana sitting on the sofa in front of the fire along with Phyllis Marshall and Martin Deevers. He would have liked to talk to James briefly about the incident, but knew it would have to wait until they were alone. Instead, he headed upstairs to check the map for Lindi. He would ask Peter about it, if he was there.

Remus opened the door and entered the darkened room. He looked over to see if Peter was already asleep, but his bed was empty. Then, he noticed the small slurping sounds and heavy breathing drifting across the room from behind the drawn curtains of Sirius' bed. _Great,_ Sirius had Leanna in their room. Remus didn't even want to think about how he had sneaked her in, as she was not a Gryffindor. Surely he hadn't used the Invisibility Cloak? They were very careful to keep that most prized of James' possessions secret.

But, however Sirius had done it, they were in there and Remus wanted to hurry up and give them some privacy, even if they weren't paying any notice that he was there. Trying very hard to ignore the noises coming from behind the bed curtains, Remus grabbed the Marauder's Map, and the Invisibility Cloak while he was at it, and took them both with him, stuffing them in the pockets of his robes.

He hurried quietly back out, shut the door behind him and went back to the Common Room, nearly colliding with Peter as he passed through the opening.

"Oi, where are you going this late, Moony?" Peter asked.

"To find Lindi," said Remus. "You didn't see her did you? Did you just come back from walking Lucy back to Ravenclaw?"

"Yeah, but I didn't see Lindi. Did you check the map?" Peter asked quietly.

"Not yet, I didn't want to disturb Sirius," Remus smirked significantly. "You don't want to go up there, by the way."

"Why not?" asked Peter, then his eyes widened in comprehension. "He doesn't have Leanna up there?"

"Well, he has _someone_ up there. I just assume it's Leanna, but I didn't stop to ask."

"Why didn't he take her to the cave?" snarled Peter. "I'm knackered."

Remus shrugged. Actually, that was a good question, as Remus had been sure Sirius had been planning to take Leanna to the secret passageway they called the cave, the very cave Remus had taken Lindi to earlier.

It gave him an idea. But first… "How long will Lindi be affected by the punch?" Remus asked. "What did you put in it?"

"I'm not really sure. It was that potion they were talking about," said Peter shrugging.

"What potion?"

"That one they concocted during one of their detentions a couple months ago," said Peter as if Remus knew what he was talking about. "Professor Slughorn really should pay more attention, but apparently he was talking to some of his _Slug Club_."

"I don't remember that," said Remus.

"I'm pretty sure it was right before a full moon, remember?" said Peter, as if that explained Remus' confusion. And of course it would explain it. Remus was often distracted by his _illness_ that close to the full moon.

"Well, do you have any idea how long it lasts?" asked Remus.

"Not long," said Peter. "They said twenty, twenty-five minutes at most."

Well, that was a relief. Now if Remus could find Lindi before she went back to her room, she might actually stay and talk to him, or…

He told Peter he'd see him later and hurried out of the portrait hole and through the corridors until he was alone. He pulled out the map and looked first at the secret passage on fourth floor. Just as he had suspected, Lindi was there. Had she gone there knowing he would look for her? He hoped so, but rather thought it was simply the only place she could think of that no one would find. In any case, he hurried up the stairs.

He pulled the mirror back from the wall and glanced inside, not wanting to startle Lindi. He needn't have worried when he saw her stretched out on the rug in front of the fire, obviously asleep. Quietly, he walked over and knelt down beside her, watching her for a moment. He almost hated to disturb her, but he couldn't leave her here all night.

"Lindi," he said softly, reaching out and stroking her cheek. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. _Hmmm_…she was a sound sleeper. Or was she simply too exhausted? After all, it had been a long and somewhat stressful day for them both, though it had turned out quite nicely (other than the bloody punch). "Lindi," he said a little louder, shaking her shoulder gently.

She looked up groggily. "Remus?" she mumbled. "What…where am…" She looked around. "Oh, yeah, what time is it?"

He checked his watch. "It's Twelve-twenty," he told her. "Are you alright?"

"Ummhm," she said as she lifted herself to sit. "What happened?"

"Someone spiked the punch with—with some sort of truth potion," he said.

"Veritaserum?" she asked, amazed. "That's restricted. They could get into huge trouble for that. Who did it?"

"They haven't been caught yet, but I don't think it was Veritaserum. I don't think they would be _that_ stupid," he said. Again, the pang of guilt stabbed at him. He was getting furious with his friends for putting him in the position to have to lie to not only Lily, but to Lindi as well. Didn't he already have to deceive her enough? _You don't _have_ to, Remus._ But he pushed the niggling guilt to the back of his mind when he looked into her eyes. She looked down blushing.

"I can't believe I said—those things," she said softly.

Remus hardly knew what to say, and the fluttering in his stomach only made it harder to think.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you," she whispered, clearly mortified.

"No," he assured her, though she _had_, but in a very good way. He didn't want _her_ to be embarrassed; she wouldn't even look at him. He needed to say something. But it was so awkward. He thought back to the other conversations they had had. He usually did well when he was making light of an awkward moment. "Now if you had said I was a _bad_ kisser, well…"

Lindi threw her hands over her face and groaned.

_Uh, oh, was that the wrong thing to say?_

But when she looked up and smiled, looking horribly chagrined, he knew it would be fine and smiled back.

They sat there for a moment until he realized they were doing it again, staring at each other, grinning stupidly.

"So," he said. He remembered what she had said about wanting to kiss him more. Did she really mean it, or was it just one of those things that crossed her mind that she wanted to do sometime in the future? That was the problem with knowing everything someone thought; people didn't always intend to act on the things that crossed their minds. But she just looked at him, waiting—but for what? "We have to be up early to catch the train," he said. "Are you tired? Do you want me to walk you back to Ravenclaw?" _Please say not yet! _

"Oh, well, I guess—if _you_ are tired," she muttered. "Do _you_ want to go?"

He smiled to himself. Why on earth were they dancing around each other? Hadn't they learned their lesson? He might be forced to lie to her about his prat friends, and _other_ things…but he didn't have to lie to her about his feelings. And he wouldn't!

"No," he said truthfully. "I don't." He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaving his hand resting on her cheek.

Her eyes sparkled in the fire light. "Me neither," she breathed.


	39. Home for the Holidays

**Chapter 39 Home for the Holidays**

**A/N: Just a reminder: Sirius calls the chocolate Flower Blossoms that Mrs. Lupin makes _French Kisses_ to embarrass her. Also, just in case, I'm giving the following definition: **

**Eunuch: 1. A castrated person employed to take charge of the women of a harem and act as chamberlain. 2. A man or boy whose testes are nonfunctioning or have been removed. (_So he has no raging hormones._ ;)) A eunuch, of course, was ideally suited to guard the bedchamber of women. (From on that lovely note, on to the chapter. **

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Remus twirled his fingers through Lindi's dark hair, gathering the smooth strands into his fists as he leaned in to kiss her again. It was like warm silk in his hands. All those months he'd dreamed of running his fingers through it, and now he could, without fear of having his hand slapped away. Lindi seemed to enjoy it too, so he intended to take full advantage of the opportunity.

But it was more than just enjoyable; it also served as a way to keep his hands from running _other_ places that she probably wouldn't approve of at this point in their relationship. He didn't want to move too quickly, but he'd wanted this for so long and in the heat of the moment—well, it was better not to run the risk, so he kept his hands occupied with her hair, just in case his mind failed him. He absolutely could not think straight. He was kissing Lindi—and had been for some time now. It was like a dream, lying there in front of the fire. His lips were all tingly and he felt his breathing quicken when she smiled up at him.

But what was that noise?

He rolled over and looked at the entrance to the secret passageway.

"_Hello_," a muffled voice called, accompanying the light rapping on the mirror.

_Oh, for the love of Merlin, go away_! he thought. Couldn't people just leave them in peace? He decided he would just ignore whoever was there. He turned back to Lindi.

But she was gone, vanished right out from under him. _Crap!_ She must have Disapparated to get away, not wanting to get caught. After all, they were out well past curfew.

_But wait a minute_…she couldn't have Disapparated; it couldn't be done within Hogwarts grounds. _Then what happened to her?_ Remus's heart started to race, not from desire this time; something was wrong.

The rapping on the mirror grew more urgent. "_Oy_…are you up in there?" the voice called.

Remus blinked, forcing his eyes to focus in the dim light. _Oh, bloody hell!_ It hadn't been like a dream after all; it _was_ a dream! He let go of the bed sheet he had twisted up in his fists and rolled over with a low groan. He realized he really should have known better, when he had imagined them _lying_ on the floor together. But what a wonderful dream! Oh, why did he have to be interrupted just then?

"Wake up, you lazy lugs! We'll miss the train!" said Lily, her voice recognizable now that Remus was awake and the door was opened. Then he heard her gasp. "_Gawd, blimey,_ _Black_! Put some clothes on!"

Remus peeked through the velvet bed curtains and saw Sirius, sprawled on his bed in nothing but his pants, his bed linens wrapped around his knees and flung haphazardly over the edge of the bed. This was not unusual, since Sirius slept the way he did most things in life—with reckless abandon. But it _was_ unusual to have Lily enter their room.

"Mornin, Evans," Sirius said through a wide yawn. He stretched, kicking off the sheets and swung his bare legs over the side of the bed. Then he stood up and stretched again, grunting lightly.

Remus looked around for Lily and saw her standing in front of the opened door, her back turned. She glanced quickly back at Sirius before whipping her head around again and her cheeks took on a rosy tinge. "Bloody hell, Sirius, have you no shame?" she snapped.

"Sure I do, but only if I have something to be ashamed _of,_" he said. Not even his gravely morning voice masked the arrogance, (playful though it was) in his statement. Sirius could not be accused of false modesty. After all, it was the truth. Remus thought _he_ might be likely to walk around in only _his_ pants if he looked like _that_…Well, no, he probably wouldn't, but he still wouldn't mind looking like that.

"Oh, you are so full of yourself…" Lily sighed. She turned around then, with great composure and looked him in the eye, as if proving that she would not be intimidated (or _impressed_). "Never mind, I'm going to go get my things now. I just wanted to make sure you lot were getting ready."

When the door closed behind her, James rolled out of bed and lobbed his pillow at Sirius. "You smarmy git!"

"_What_?" Sirius asked innocently.

"You know full well _what_," said James.

"Hey, she's the one who barged into _my_ room."

"Bollucks! You are a smarmy git, and you know it!" James said, smirking in that way that showed he was annoyed, but not seriously so. "How would you like it if I walked around starkers in front of Haversham?"

Sirius pretended to be giving it serious consideration, looking James over appraisingly. "Sorry, but I don't think I'd feel threatened or anything," Sirius teased. "I mean, you're alright but…" He motioned towards himself and added, "Come on."

"You bloody wanker," James cried, breaking into a reluctant grin. "Sometimes I wonder why we are even friends."

"Because you are a smarmy git, too," offered Peter, pulling on his bathrobe.

"Oh, yeah, well you're just a git, Wormtail," said James, chucking a slipper Peter's way.

"Well, we're all going to be gits-who-missed-the-train if we don't hurry," said Remus, finally rolling out of his own bed. He was stiff and achy from all the dancing, but he didn't mind; it was evidence that he hadn't dreamed _everything_ about last night. Which reminded him… "Speaking of gits, what did you put in the punch last night? Please tell me it wasn't Veritaserum."

"It wasn't Veritaserum," said James and Sirius together.

"That would be against the law," said James, pretending to be indignant.

"Oh, well, that's a relief. What was I thinking? I should know better than to even consider that you might do something illegal, _Prongs_," Remus said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, which was considerable. "So, what was it then?"

"_Verbo_serum," said Sirius.

"I rather liked the name Vomitus Your Thoughticus," said James.

"Yeah, well that's just stupid," said Sirius.

James feigned taking offense. "Sirius doesn't think it's _dignified_ enough for his work. His most noble Black side is showing."

"I'll show you my noble Black side," said Sirius, turning around and grasping the waste band of his pants.

"_Aaanywaay_," said Remus, determined to keep them focused, as they were clearly in a mood. "It might be _stupid—_no offense James—but it seems to fit the potion."

"True," said Sirius, forgoing exposing himself further.

"So, unlike Veritaserum, which makes you answer _questions_ truthfully, _Verbo_serum makes you blurt it right out, without even being asked?" Remus asked to clarify. "So it is actually _worse _than Veritaserum."

"Well, not exactly," said James. "It isn't nearly as powerful as Veritaserum."

"It has similar properties and uses a lot of the same ingredients," said Sirius. "And we added some that would invoke the same sort of response from a Babbling Curse. But it isn't necessarily a _Truth _Potion."

"It's more a _blabbing_ potion," said James. "It makes whatever pops into your head come spewing out, whether it's true or not."

Remus remembered Darlene's hateful words to Lindi as she was being dragged away. Obviously it wasn't' a _truth _serum, since Lindi was anything _but_ an 'ugly little slag'.

"Well, there was an awful lot of _whatever_ being spewed, thanks to you lot," said Remus, his tone disapproving.

"You're not kidding," said James, clearly proud of their _accomplishment_.

"It was amazing," said Peter.

"Yes, amazing," said Remus, smirking. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to do it?"

"Because we didn't want you nagging us about it," said Sirius bluntly.

"And we didn't want you to be distracted from your date," said James.

"You were already a nervous wreck," added Peter.

"_Ahh_…Well, thank you for your consideration," said Remus dryly. "In your concern for me, did it ever occur to you that _I _might drink the punch?"

"You were drinking butterbeer," said Sirius.

"Yes, but I could have very easily decided to try the punch," insisted Remus. "Can you imagine the things that might have popped into _my_ head and that _I _might have spewed all over the Great Hall?"

"Yeah," sniggered James. "I _can_ imagine." He cleared his throat and, in an obviously exaggerated imitation of Remus, said, "_Gawd blimey_, but you're beautiful, Lindi."

"Or—_Lindi_, can we please go snog some more?" added Peter, grinning.

"How about—Well, _yes_, Lindi," Sirius joined in the teasing. "I _do_ care about your arse and bristols. What do you think I am, a eunuch?"

Peter and James snorted in amusement and Remus almost joined them. But when he reminded himself of some of the other things he might have let slip, he found it easier to control his laughter.

"Of course," said Remus. "I might have concluded with, 'Well, I'm not a _eunuch_, but I _am_ a werewolf. You don't mind, do you?"

"You wouldn't have," said James, still sniggering.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Remus. "It pops into my head from time to time, you know."

"That you aren't a eunuch?" asked Sirius, amused. But Remus knew he was just trying to divert the conversation.

Still, he couldn't help but grin and he felt his lip crack. _Hmm_…they were awfully chapped, but that would have to wait. "I mean it, Sirius," he said.

"Look, you wouldn't have said anything like that. We told you; the Verboserum isn't nearly as powerful as Veritaserum. It isn't going to make you tell _important_ things that you really don't want to tell," said Sirius.

"Well, Lindi was saying things she obviously hadn't intended to share," Remus argued.

"Yeah, well, you aren't Lindi," said Sirius.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Remus. Something in Sirius' tone caused him to bristle.

"Nothing," said Sirius. "It just means that someone like you isn't going to be affected the way someone like Lindi is."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Remus asked.

"It just means that someone with your strong mental abilities probably wouldn't be affected _at all_, at least not once you realized it was happening," Sirius explained. "Especially now, with your training in Occlumency, _you_ would've been able to counter it easily."

Remus found that he took great offense to this explanation. "Are you implying that Lindi is weak minded?"

Sirius sighed. "_No_," he said mollifyingly. "It has nothing to do with her intelligence, Moony. I know she's not stupid. It's more a matter of—of her _awareness_—being on guard. You know how she is. No offense, but she can be a bit oblivious. I doubt Lindi knows what it means to be on her guard. I mean, hell, she thinks Snape's a decent bloke."

"And the biggest secret she's probably ever had was that she'd never been kissed," James added.

"'Till last night," Peter said, waggling his brows.

James grinned. "So I highly doubt she gives much thought to the need for mental defenses, much less that she has ever practiced them."

"_Exactly_, so don't go getting offended," said Sirius.

"Yeah," said James. "You should be thanking us."

Remus looked incredulous. "_Thanking_ you?"

"Sure," said James. "Thanks to us, you know she thinks you're a great kisser!" He puckered his lips and started making the loud smooching noise.

"Oh, would you stop it?" Remus implored him, trying not to smile.

"Oh, Remus, I want you to kiss me," James teased instead. "You're just so good at it!"

Peter sniggered. "Did you see the way she looked at you? Now I know what Mum means when she says someone _swooned_." He looked at Remus, nearly awestruck. "You made her _swoon_."

"I tell you; I'm almost tempted to snog you myself, just to see what all the fuss is about," said Sirius.

Remus's face burned. "Will you all _please _knock it off?" he begged. "We're going to miss the train." He gathered up his bath kit and a towel and left his friends sniggering madly. As much as he enjoyed being teased about Lindi, (because it helped convince him it was real) he just couldn't help being embarrassed.

Still, while she might not have actually _swooned, _shehadseemed very _pleased_ with his kissing. _Of course, it doesn't mean anything, when you consider all she has to compare it to, _Remus told himself_. She has so much experience, after all_.

But then again, she had a little experience _now_, enough that it had given him chapped lips, anyway. He smiled just thinking about it, as he looked into the bathroom mirror. The grin pulled at his cracking lips. He'd have to work on toughening them up. Clearly he hadn't been getting enough experience himself…

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The Marauders met Lily in the Common Room and made their way quickly towards the Entrance Hall where they were to meet Lindi. They were running late, after all the joking, and risked missing the train. But Lindi wasn't waiting for them. Instead, they nearly collided with her as they rounded a corner across from the passage to Ravenclaw Tower, when she came dashing through, obviously running late as well. It looked like she hadn't even combed her hair and Remus's stomach fluttered when he considered that some of the tangles might have been his fault. After all, he knew he hadn't dreamed _everything_ about last night.

They didn't have time for a proper greeting, which was probably just as well, since he doubted he could get away with kissing her right there in front of all his friends, but Remus did get a glorious smile before she gasped out her hellos. He couldn't help but notice her lips were a little on the chapped side, too. More proof that it was real…Theymay not have been lying on the floor together, but he had kissed Lindi till their lips were nearly raw. _Unless this whole thing is one amazing dream._

If it was, he hoped he never woke up.

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In order to avoid missing the train, James and Lindi were going to fly ahead to buy everyone's tickets, since they had both brought their brooms. Remus had planned to buy Lindi's, since he had invited her, so he took her aside to give her the money, but she refused, pointing out that the others were his guests, too, and they were paying their own way.

"Yes, but they invited themselves," he argued. "Well, I invited Lily, but…"

She grinned up at him. "You know I can't let you do that; it's too much. Maybe next time."

Remus smiled in defeat. It had been their first squabble as boyfriend and girlfriend. He was lightheaded just thinking about it that way, and he knew it wasn't due to lack of sleep. He hoped all their squabbles were so satisfying. Somehow, he felt that even though he had lost the skirmish, he had won. She was expecting a next time.

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When the six friends boarded the train, Remus and Lily stuck their heads into the prefect compartment to check in, and then they all found a compartment together. They squeezed their things in before Remus and Lily had to go perform a quick prefect round. Fortunately, they didn't have their trunks with them, as it would have been impossible to fit them all. It was a little snug, now that Peter had decided to join them. He wasn't staying for the entire holiday like James and Sirius, but he had convinced his parents to let him come for the first couple of days, unable to tolerate being the only Marauder missing from the _party_.

While it was a little cozy, the compartment wouldn't exactly be _uncomfortable_ for them all. Still, Remus almost suggested that he and Lindi find one to themselves. After all, they wouldn't be getting a lot of _privacy_ at his house, not with Mum there. But he thought that suggesting it might be obvious and awkward, and he didn't want to embarrass Lindi. Besides, he enjoyed riding the train with his friends and thought Lindi might, as well. She had never ridden the train with the students, since she lived in Hogsmeade. And it was another chance for her to get to know his friends better, now that they all seemed to be getting along again. Plus, he felt like he owed it to Lily, not to leave her alone with James and the others. So they all crowded in, careful not to elbow one another as they began removing their winter cloaks, scarves and hats.

The train whistle sounded and, slowly, the village of Hogsmeade disappeared into the cold misty morning. They were on their way.

Remus folded his cloak neatly and set it under his seat. He had a feeling he might be using it as a pillow when they all started falling asleep in a little while. He sat down for a moment, getting out of the way of the others, and watched as Lindi unwound the Blue Ravenclaw scarf from her neck and stretched up to put it in the luggage bin overhead. Then she sat her valise on the seat beside him, opened it and removed what appeared to be a toiletry kit.

"I need to go clean up. I'm afraid I overslept," she said. "I haven't even washed my face or brushed my teeth, yet." She made an apologetic face, covering her mouth.

"I hadn't noticed," said Remus, smiling. Of course, he hadn't had a chance to get close enough to her to notice. That compartment to themselves really would have been nice. _Oh, well…_ "I'll probably be making rounds when you get back."

"Alright," she said, and started to squeeze past Peter for the door.

"You've got something all over your neck, too," said Peter. "Just so you know."

"Oh really?" Lindi asked. She reached up and rubbed her hand on her throat and looked at it, but nothing was on her fingers.

"It's more to the side," said Peter helpfully.

She wiped at it again, but still, nothing came off on her hand. By now, the others were finished stowing their things.

Suddenly, James and Sirius started chortling, and Lily made a funny face, as if she couldn't decide if she should laugh or not.

"I don't think that's going to rub off," said Sirius.

"You'll only make it worse," added James.

"_Ree-_mus," said Lily, a hint of playful accusation in her tone.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, don't play innocent with us," said Sirius.

James reached out and pulled Lindi's hair around to one side and inspected her neck closely. "Blimey, Moony, Padfoot's right, you can knock off the innocent routine." James grinned appreciatively. "You _animal_."

Lily gave James a disgusted look. "You are such a pig."

"Why, _I_ didn't do it?" James asked.

"Didn't do _what_?" asked Lindi, slapping James's hand away.

"What are you talking about?" asked Remus, standing to see what all the fuss was about.

"The love bites all over Lindi's neck, as if you didn't know," said James snidely.

"_What_?" Lindi and Remus gasped in unison.

Panic filled Lindi's eyes and she started rummaging through her toiletry kit, finally pulling out a small compact mirror, while Remus lifted the hair from her neck and felt his eyes bug.

_It can't be_. But there was no disputing the fact that Lindi had a spray of small bruises along the side and back of her neck. But he hadn't…_had_ he? _No_, no there was no way he could have done _that_ and not realized it. He might have been a little intoxicated from snogging Lindi, but he had still been _mostly_ in possession of his faculties and he hadn't done _that_. They had only _kissed_ for Merlin's sake!

"_Oohhh_…Oh, my _gosh_!" Lindi cried. Her eyes bulged in the reflection of the mirror, staring in horror at her neck. "_Remus_! What did you—how did this—I didn't—Oh my _gosh!_" She turned, red faced, and looked at him imploringly, desperate for some explanation.

"Lindi, I didn't—_we_ didn't. You know we didn't," he said. There had to be another explanation.

"Well, if _you _didn't do it…" said Sirius, raising his brows to finish the thought.

Lindi looked around, bright crimson splotches on her cheeks. "Are you suggesting that I—that someone else…"

"_No _body did it," said Remus steadily, realizing what must have happened. "Well, obviously somebody _did_, but not like _that_."

They all looked at him, intrigued.

"Those aren't love bites," Remus explained. "They're just regular bruises. It must have happened when Darlene grabbed you round the neck when you were fighting."

A collective sigh of understanding arose in the compartment.

Relief flooded over Lindi's features and she let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, thank heavens. I thought I'd lost my mind."

"Well, it looked like you'd both gone a little crazy," said James, sounding disappointed and finally taking his seat.

"I have to admit, I thought so, too," said Lily, sitting as well. The excitement was over and everyone started to settle down.

Everyone but Lindi…

She held the mirror up again. "They do look like love bites, though, don't they?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes," said Lily. "But not _bad _ones," she added quickly. "They're small and kind of faint."

"That's true," said James, glancing at Lily, and clearly following her lead. "I was thinking they were rather pathetic, actually. I have to say I'm relieved that they _aren't_ love bites, because I'd expect better from Moony."

Lily let a smile slip before catching herself. Remus expected her to call James a pig again, but instead she let out a sigh and shook her head.

Remus glanced up at Lindi to find her looking at him. She looked away quickly, but had the hint of a smile on her own lips. Was she thinking about the quality of his love bites? His pulse started to speed up. He _really_ wished they had their own compartment. _For the love of Merlin, Remus, what's gotten into you?_ But he knew exactly what had gotten into him.

Lindi looked at the bruises again and the shy little smile faded.

"But they do _look_ like them," Lindi said, furrowing her brow.

"But they _aren't,_" Remus reassured her.

"But people will think they _are_," Lindi insisted. "More to the point, your _mum and dad_ will think they are." The panic crept over her face again. "I can't go. I can't let them see this."

"Don't be silly," said Lily bracingly. "You have to go. They're expecting you."

"But what will they think?" Lindi said rather desperately.

"That you and Moony had a _really_ good time after the ball," said James.

Remus considered hexing the prat he called friend, but Lily took care of it for him, swatting James hard across the chest.

"Owww, blimey, Evans," he said, rubbing the spot.

"Mum and Dad won't say anything, Lindi," said Remus, ignoring James's dramatics. "They probably won't even _notice_ anything." Remus tried to sound convincing, though he thought it was unlikely that either of his parents would be so unobservant. Still, he knew they wouldn't say anything in front of Lindi or his friends. Now, _he_ was another story. He hated to think what his mum might have to say to _him_ if he had put those bruises on Lindi's neck.

"Oh, Remus, they'd have to be blind not to notice!" Lindi said. "What am I going to tell them?"

"Why not the truth?" said Peter.

Lindi seemed to consider it for a brief moment. Then her brow knitted severely. "I can't tell them _that_. I can just imagine what Mrs. Lupin would think. Can you see her face when I tell her? 'Why hello, Mrs. Lupin, good to see you again. By the way, I'm sure you've noticed my neck, but I want you to know those aren't what they look like. They're just bruises I got in _a Muggle brawl_ I had with a girl at the ball last night, fighting over your son.'" Lindi groaned again. "Oh, yeah, that'll impress them. I think I'd rather they thought I'd let Remus gnaw on my neck."

Remus grinned against his will. She was so bloody adorable, and he rather wished she'd got the bruises letting him gnaw her neck, too. But then again…

"Moony gnawing on a neck….interesting image," said Sirius thoughtfully. Remus could see each of the Marauders' jaws clenching to bite back the laughter. Poor James was struggling so mightily that his nostrils were flaring in and out. Someone needed to change the subject immediately.

"Lindi, don't worry about it. I'll tell them something if they notice. It'll be fine. And Mum has a really good bruise healing paste. They'll be gone by tomorrow."

"In the mean time, do you have any makeup we can cover them with?" asked Lily. Lindi nodded. "Good, I'll help you when we get close. And try to keep your hair pulled over to that side," said Lily.

Lindi gathered her long locks and draped them over her shoulder.

"There, that's good. They actually might _not _notice it," Lily said optimistically. "Why don't you go wash your face now? Then come back and relax. I want to hear all about the ball when I get back."

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When Remus and Lily returned from their rounds, Remus was happy to find the others apparently enjoying themselves. From the sounds of the conversation, James was challenging Lindi to some sort of flying contest. Lindi seemed to have calmed down about her bruised neck. Lily shifted the conversation to the ball and when the spiked punch came up almost immediately, the Marauders feigned ignorance. It was really amazing, and a bit _disturbing_, how well they all lied. Remus wondered if any of the others felt the little pang of guilt over lying to the girls, but he rather doubted they did. And they clearly felt no guilt over the humiliation they had caused Lindi. She buried her face in her hands when James started making his smooching noises and repeating what she had said under the influence of the potion, but she couldn't hide the blush glowing all down her neck and to the tips of her ears.

Lily, for her part, came to Lindi's defense, telling James to leave her alone. Yet the look on Lily's face was one of sheer glee. She winked at Remus while Lindi wasn't looking, before changing the subject to the destruction of the ball decorations. Eventually, Lindi joined back into the conversation.

Soon, they were all growing drowsy from the very late night, together with the early morning and the swaying of the train. The snack trolley came along and they shared some pasties and warm spiced pumpkin juice, then, one by one, they started to doze off. It wasn't long before the three other Marauders were sleeping soundly. Lily had pulled out a book and started to read, while Lindi leaned against Remus's shoulder and looked over him, out the window at the wintry landscape rolling by.

"Do you want to trade spots?" Remus asked softly.

"No, thank you, I'm fine like this," Lindi said. But she sat up. "Unless it bothers you… Would you be more comfortable if we switched?"

"No," he said. "I was quite comfortable, too."

She leaned against him again. He liked it. Soon, Lindi's soft steady breaths told him that she, too, was asleep. He glanced down at her, snuggled up next to him. Yes, he was quite comfortable. He looked around the compartment at his sleeping friends and smiled contentedly.

Lily looked up and met his eye. "Having a happy holiday, Remus?"

"Yes," he said sincerely.

She smiled and put her book aside. "I think I'll try to get some sleep, myself. You should, too."

He agreed and stretched for his cloak, careful not to wake Lindi, and put it up to rest on the window. Before he closed his eyes, he took one more glance around. _Happy _was quite an understatement. Sitting there, surrounded by his closest friends, the girl of his dreams resting her head on his shoulder, on his way to see the two other most important people in his life, Remus was sure he had never felt warmer. He finally had memories he didn't want or _need_ to hide in Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve.

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The shrill whistle of the train sounded, waking Remus from a pleasant sleep. He looked out the window to see that they were pulling into the station at King's Cross. Lily was also stirring, and she shook James, who had apparently been using her as a pillow. Remus did the same to Lindi, though a bit more affectionately.

Soon, they were all gathering their things to hurry off of the train, in order to beat the rush and catch the Knight Bus to Llanberis, where his dad would meet them and carry them home. The bus would be much faster than the Muggle train, though less comfortable. Remus sometimes wished Mum and Dad had gotten connected to the Floo Network. It sure would save a great deal of time and nausea, but Floo Powder was expensive, and being connected also made it easier to be traced. Mum and Dad felt sure that the Ministry wasn't above tapping the network, especially _these_ days, and Remus figured they were probably right. Not that the Lupins were engaged in illegal activity. Although, there _was_ that matter with the Werewolf Registry. But he didn't want to think about that….

Still, the last thing his parents wanted was for people to be able to find them easily, especially now with Greyback freed and everything else that was going on. So, the Lupins remained one of the few families unconnected to the Floo Network, and Remus had to Side-Along Apparate with Mum or Dad to get around quickly. Not for much longer, though, since he would be seventeen and able to get his Apparition license in March. But for now, they would be taking the Knight Bus.

They disembarked and wound their way past the people waiting to greet the other students. Looking down the expanse of the platform towards the barrier, Remus noticed two wizards loitering on either side of the wrought iron archway. There was something in the way they were watching the people coming and going that set Remus a bit on edge. He glanced around and noticed another pair of wizards at the other end acting similarly; all four had their hands deep in their pockets and Remus was quite sure they were firmly clutching their wands.

_Members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad…Aurors? _

He wondered if something specific had happened to cause the Ministry to increase security, or if it was simply the way things would be from now until the Death Eaters were stopped; he hadn't looked at the _Daily_ _Prophet_ this morning. He felt for his own wand, just to be sure he had transferred it from his robes to his Muggle overcoat. He wanted to be able to reach it easily.

But they were given the all clear to go through the barrier without incident and were soon loaded onto the Knight Bus and careening towards home.

Dad was sitting in the old carriage, waiting for them on the outskirts of town, when the Knight Bus jerked to a halt. As they prepared to get off, Remus found that he was a little nervous. He was about to introduce Lindi to his father. He was surprised at how eager he was for Dad to like her, as if there was anything not to like. But after the conversation he and Dad had had about Remus's feelings for her last summer, Remus was quite self conscious. Not to mention, he had told Dad that Lindi was just a _friend_ when they'd agreed to invite her. Of course, they _had_ been just friends—at the time.

Remus climbed down first and reached up to help Lindi down. She fidgeted with her muffler, making sure the bruises were covered before taking his hand. He could tell she was nervous as well. James, Sirius, and Peter had teased them about Remus taking her to _meet the in-laws_ and Lindi had glowed red, but grinned sweetly. For his part, Remus only wished that he could be so lucky. _Maybe_ _someday_. The thought made his stomach flip.

As soon as they were all off the bus, it was gone in a screeching flash, spooking the horses. Dad calmed them, then turned and smiled broadly as they approached.

"Hello, son," he said, shaking Remus's hand and clasping him on the shoulder warmly. "Good to see you."

"You too, Dad," Remus answered. James, Sirius, and Peter made their greetings, each shaking Dad's hand in turn.

"Nice to see you again, boys," Dad said.

Then Lily stepped forward. "You remember Lily Evans," Remus said.

"Of course, welcome, Lily," Dad said shaking her hand, too. "Let me have that bag." He took the suitcase from Lily and turned, smiling warmly to Lindi. "You must be Lindi."

"Yes, sir," she said. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin."

"The pleasure is mine, Lindi. Let me take that bag and let's get back to the house. Remus's mum will be anxious to see you all, and she has hot cocoa."

Lindi handed his dad the bag with her thanks, then turned and smiled at Remus.

Feeling a flutter of excitement swirling in his stomach, he led her around the carriage to the opening. As he passed his father loading up the bags, their eyes met and Dad lifted his brow, looking slightly amused and rather pleased. Remus got the distinct impression that Dad had figured out that Lindi wasn't just a friend anymore. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

_Let's hope Mum is happy about it, too._

The others clambered into the carriage, Peter, Lily, and James with their backs to the front, and Sirius sliding over to allow room for Lindi and Remus.

"Do you mind if I sit up front with Dad?" Remus asked Lindi quietly.

"No, of course not; you should," she said and she hoisted herself into the carriage.

"There are blankets under the seats," Dad called from the driver's bench. "It'll be about twenty, twenty-five minutes. We got a bit of snow in the hills last night."

Remus was suddenly torn between not wanting to leave Dad up front by himself, and not wanting to leave Lindi in the back by _herself_. It was going to be perfect for snuggling and sight seeing. The mountains of Snowdonia were beautiful. Of course, he wasn't leaving her _by herself_. But somehow, seeing Sirius toss the blanket over Lindi and himself didn't make Remus feel a lot better about the arrangement. He couldn't help but notice Lindi's reaction, the way she looked sideways at Sirius. Obviously, she still wasn't completely comfortable in his presence. Remus knew that would probably take some time, and as ridiculous as he knew he was being, he couldn't help but feel a hint of—what—_satisfaction…relief?_

_Stop being stupid and get on the carriage, Remus._

The drive was quite pleasant, if a bit cold, and he did have a few twinges of regret now and again, at not being snuggled with Lindi under that blanket. But it was always good to catch up with his dad. They talked of his father's work. The thestral foal was doing well, as were the Crup pups. They would be ready to have their tails removed while Remus was home for the holidays. Dad asked about his marks, of course.

"They should be descent," said Remus, knowing they weren't quite what they could have been had he not spent so much of the term preoccupied with his feelings for Lindi. "All but Potions, that is. I think I'm going to have to drop it." He hated to quit, though. It wasn't in Remus's nature to give up, and especially now, with Lindi to help him. "But I'm going to give it a few more weeks."

Remus glanced back periodically, usually finding Lindi and the others looking out at the beautiful landscapes. But Lindi seemed to sense him looking and would turn and smile, causing his stomach to flutter. After several times, Remus caught his father looking at him out of the corner of his eye and smirking. Remus tried not to blush, but couldn't stop it, so he just grinned and enjoyed the warmth.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Dad asked in an undertone.

"Not very long," said Remus. "We had a sort of falling out shortly after I invited her home with me. But we had a long talk a few days ago and worked things out, so I asked her to the ball. That was our first date."

"I take it that it was a good one," Dad said. Remus nodded and glanced back again, wondering if his friends could hear. No one seemed to be paying attention, as Peter had his head lolled back against the seat, eyes closed and mouth open, sound asleep. James was pointing something out to Lily and Lindi, and Remus looked to see a deer darting into some brush. Sirius had gone the way of Peter. He too, was sound asleep, slid down in the seat so his long legs were pressed against the coach sides, head resting on Lindi's shoulder. She had been forced to slide up against the edge of the seat. She caught him looking.

"I should have sat up there with you and given Sirius the whole seat," she said. She wiggled her shoulder under him, but he only grunted and kept on sleeping. Lindi laughed. "Does he always sleep like the dead?"

Remus nodded, and James said, "Yeah, he says it's because he has such a clear conscience."

"More like _no_ conscience," grunted Peter, sleepily. And they all laughed.

Finally, they rounded a bend in the trail, and Remus caught a glimpse of home through the trees. As soon as they broke into the small clearing, the door opened, and his mother came out to greet them.

"Here we are," Remus announced unnecessarily.

"Good," Lindi smiled. "I've lost the feeling in my fingers and I think he's drooling on me. Sirius, wake up." She jostled him lightly.

"He's probably shedding on you, too," said James.

"I do not shed," Sirius snarled, sitting up and stretching. "And I rarely drool." He wiped at his mouth to be sure. "Only when I think about Mrs. Lupin's wonderful French kisses," he said loudly, for they had drawn up to where Mum was waiting for them.

"Don't you start, Sirius Black," Mum said sternly, though the look on her face betrayed her affection. "Or you can stay in the barn."

"Yeah," said James, climbing out of the carriage, "with the other animals."

"As if you're much better," said Mum, grinning now.

Remus jumped down and gave his mother a hug while the others folded their blankets and retrieved their bags. "I'm so glad your home," she said, hugging him tightly. "I could hardly stand the thought of you kids traveling alone, what with everything that's been going on."

"Mum, we're not exactly children," Remus said, noticing how Lindi was watching and hoping his mum wouldn't treat him like one.

"I know that," said Mum, loosening her grip. "But I can't help it." She finally let him go and hugged his three friends. When she got to Lily and Lindi, she smiled warmly, but didn't hug them. After all, she didn't know them that well. "Welcome, girls; I'm so glad you got to come. It will be nice to have some female company for a change. Let's get inside where it's warm."

They followed her into the house and she gathered their winter gear and took it to the closet. "Richard, show the girls to their bedroom and where the bathroom is, so they can freshen up if they want, will you? Remus, you and the boys go put your things up in your room and then come down. We'll have a bite."

Remus watched as his father led the girls down the hallway, before he turned to follow Peter up the stairs to his own room. Mum was watching him while she hung their things, a slightly worried look on her face. "Is something wrong, Mum?"

"No," she said, smiling rather bleakly. "I'm just glad you're home."

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Remus's room had been stretched to accommodate the three extra beds and James, Sirius, and Peter had each dropped their bags on one and were making themselves at home. Remus set his suitcase down and started to unpack. The sounds of china clinking drifted up from the kitchen below and Remus decided to put an Imperturbable Charm on the old exhaust pipe in the corner to block out the sounds and to prevent his mum overhearing anything they might say. There was no way of knowing what might come out of one of their mouths. Just as he pulled his wand, he heard his dad's muffled voice filter up through the vent.

"I don't mind telling you, I think I might enjoy having the house full as much as Remus does."

"More, maybe," said his mother, rather tersely.

"What do you mean?" asked Dad. "Is something wrong, Rena?"

Remus hesitated before casting the spell. His mother didn't answer right away.

"I just feel so bad for Remus," she finally said.

"Why on earth for?"

"Because of that _girl_," Mum answered.

"Who, Lindi?" Dad sounded confused.

"Well, who else, Richard?"

Remus held up his wand, tapped the pipe and said, "_Clarus_." He wanted to be sure he didn't miss any of this.

"You've lost me, love," his dad said, his voice more audible.

Remus was feeling a little lost, too. Why would she feel _bad_ for him because of Lindi? He'd never been happier.

"Didn't you see how he looks at her? He's obviously still completely infatuated with her," said Mum.

Remus glanced at his friends, wanting to crawl into a hole. As soon as they saw his expression, they burst into a fit of sniggering.

"_Shhh_!" hissed Sirius, as Dad's voice drifted up.

"I think it goes a bit beyond infatuation, Rena. But I still don't quite follow why you feel so _bad_ for him."

"Well, why would he do this to himself?"

"Do _what_ to himself?" Dad asked.

"Let him bring her here!" snapped Mum, becoming impatient. "So it's right under his nose. I'd think he'd want to get away from it."

"What on earth are you talking about?" asked Dad.

"What do you mean what am I talking about? Aren't you paying attention, Richard? I'm talking about your son's feelings being trampled by one of his best friends!"

A rather stunned silence followed, and Remus could only imagine the look on his dad's face.

"What the hell is your mum talking about?" said Peter. Remus shrugged, at a complete loss.

"And I don't mind telling you," Mum continued, though she lowered her voice a bit. "I'm just a little surprised at Sirius."

Sirius looked up sharply. "What did I do?"

"I know he asked her out first," Mum continued. "But he has to know how Remus feels about her. Merlin knows it's written all over his face."

Now the picture was starting to come into focus, though it was still a bit murky.

"I'd think he'd be a little more sensitive to Remus's feelings, and at least not be all over her in front of him," Mum went on.

The Marauders looked around at one another, somewhat confused and _highly_ entertained.

"Rena, I think you are mistaken," said Dad.

"How do you mistake something like that?" hissed Mum. "Maybe _you_ didn't notice how _cozy_ they were in the carriage, with your back to them. Well, now I understand why Rosmerta wanted to be sure we were going to be here. I don't know Rosmerta that well, but I'm a bit surprised she would permit Lindi to come, even if we _are_ going to be here. I think the world of Sirius, but I wouldn't trust him with my niece for one second."

Sirius snorted. "What do you tell your mum about me?"

"Trust me, I don't tell her about your sexual exploits," Remus assured him.

"Face it," said James. "You're famous."

"Infamous, you mean," said Peter.

"I don't know why…"

"Shhh!" James interrupted Sirius so they could hear what was going on downstairs.

"I think Lindi is her cousin," Dad was saying.

"Well that is beside the point," snapped Mum. "In any case, we'll definitely have to keep an eye on those two."

"Who, Sirius and Lindi?" Dad's voice had taken on an amused tone. Apparently, the picture was becoming clear to him, also.

"Yes, Richard," Mum sighed. "Why are you having such a hard time following? Am I speaking in riddles?"

"Well, actually…" Dad laughed then. "Rena, I don't think you need to worry about Sirius."

"Oh, don't be naïve, Richard."

Remus chuckled at the irony of Mum calling Dad naïve. Actually, the whole conversation was rather humorous. Of course, sooner or later, Dad was going to tell her the truth.

"Sirius is—well, Sirius is—well, did you see Lindi's neck?" Mum sputtered.

Remus flinched. He had almost forgotten about that.

"No, apparently not," said Dad, a little less lightly.

"Well, if you had, you would understand why we need to keep an eye on them. I've never seen so many love bites on one neck."

"Are you sure?" Dad sounded a little taken aback.

"Trust me," said Mum. "It doesn't surprise me about Sirius, but I have to say, I was a little shocked at Lindi. She didn't even try to hide it."

Sirius made another insulted face, while James and Peter sniggered quietly. Of course, Remus was a little worried and knew he was going to have to offer them an explanation about those _love bites_.

"But Rosmerta is trusting us to keep an eye on her, so you might just want to have a word with Sirius. That might not be a bad idea anyway," said Mum thoughtfully.

"What would you like me to say to him?" asked Dad.

"Well, _you know_," said Mum. "I think Sirius could use some _guidance_. I worry about him."

"Good _gawd_!" said Sirius. "Your mum wants your dad to give me the _talk_!"

Remus was sure James was going to wet himself he laughed so hard.

"Erm, Rena, I don't think Sirius is the one who needs guidance in this case," Dad said.

_Oh, no, here it comes._ Remus grimaced.

"Why not?" asked Mum.

Dad hesitated for a moment and Remus could picture him looking at Mum, deciding exactly how to tell her.

"Because Sirius didn't leave those marks on that girl," Dad said gently. "Your son did."

Remus cringed at the sound of breaking glass.

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**_A/N: Well, I know it has been a long time between updates. I hope some of you are still with me. If you are, I'd love to hear from you, and I hope this wasn't a big letdown, after the long wait._**


	40. Under Pressure

**Chapter 40 Under Pressure**

Remus squeezed his eyes closed, not wanting to believe this was actually happening. Of course, his friends seemed to be enjoying it all _immensely_. They were chortling so hard that Remus could barely make out what his parents were saying, though he _could _hear Mum sputtering in shock and disbelief, while Dad was obviously trying to keep her calm _so the whole house wouldn't hear_. Remus didn't know if he should just give in and join in laughing at the absurdity of it all, or repack his bag and slip out the window to make a run for it.

And he hadn't even done anything!

"Ooo, you are in so much trouble," James gasped through fits of laughter.

"I hope you've decided on your cover story," said Sirius.

Remus sighed. He had hoped he wouldn't _need_ a cover story, but obviously, he was going to have to clear this up straight away, before his mother ended up in the Janus Thickey Ward.

But what _was _his cover story going to be? He knew Lindi was terribly embarrassed by the fight with Darlene, and to be perfectly honest, he didn't want to run the risk of having to explain _why _they had been fighting. He wondered if Mum and Dad would believe Lindi had got the bruises some other way, maybe in a Care of Magical Creatures class, or that she had been attacked by a small Devil's Snare plant during Herbology.

_That might actually work_, he thought.

"Nah, that's no good," said Sirius, after Remus suggested it. "Unless they don't know anything about plants. Don't you remember what Wormtail looked like after that lesson on Devil's Snare? It looked more like rope burns."

_Crap, _Remus knew his mother would probably know that. Herbology had been one of her favorite classes.

"And Fanged Geraniums would leave teeth marks," offered Peter, grimacing at the memory.

"How about an Erkling?" suggested James. "Professor Merrythought _did_ bring that one into class last week."

"No, Dad knows too much about them," said Remus. "He wouldn't believe it would have attacked Lindi; she's not a child."

While they continued to brainstorm on ways that Lindi might have gotten the bruises, Remus removed the Clarus Charm from the pipe and placed the Imperturbable Charm instead. He had heard more than enough to know that Dad had convinced Mum that it really had been _him _and not Sirius whom Lindi had been with the night before, and that Mum was more than a little disappointed in his _apparent _behavior. He wouldn't be surprised if she came storming into his room at any moment, to tell him all the things she'd already told his father: that she expected him to show more respect for Lindi _and himself_…that if he was going to be doing things like _that_, she at least expected him to keep it private and not parade it around like a badge of honor, not to mention how it reflected poorly on her parenting….

"I'm just going to tell them the truth," Remus said finally. "If they know the circumstances, they won't think badly of Lindi at all. How could they? I better get down there and clear it up before she gets there first."

But he was too late. When he pushed the kitchen door open, he found Dad, Lily, and Lindi all standing around in a rather awkward silence, as Mum loaded a tray with steaming mugs of cocoa and plates of finger sandwiches and crisps. Mum glanced up when he walked through the door and glared at him in a way that made him very thankful this was all just a big misunderstanding. She turned back to her task.

"Remus, where are the boys?" she asked curtly. "The cocoa is going to get cold. Go tell them to come down, please. We'll be in the living room."

She lifted the tray and swept from the kitchen, not allowing him a chance to respond.

"Mum," he tried to get her attention, and followed her across the hall, but Lindi and Lily were right behind them. His explanation was going to have to wait until he could get his mother alone. He didn't want to embarrass Lindi, and even though his friends already knew what was going on, he just didn't feel comfortable discussing the _love bites_, or lack thereof, with his mum, in front of an audience. He knew he would have to discuss his feelings for Lindi, at least a bit, as that was the natural progression of the conversation they would be having. It would be abnormal for Mum not to at least _ask_ about his new relationship with Lindi. That was definitely a conversation to be held in private. But it needed to be held soon.

"Mum, could I talk to you for a moment?" he asked.

"Not now, Remus. We need to tend to your guests," she said tersely. "We'll talk after they've eaten. Your father and I have something we want to discuss with _you_, too."

The look on his father's face was a mix of amusement and sympathy, plus a small dose of concern, but he said nothing. Remus wanted to laugh and tell them this was all an absurd misunderstanding, but Lindi would be positively mortified if she knew that his mum and dad had been discussing it, so he went to get the others instead.

When they returned, Dad was discussing the Crup pups with Lindi and Lily, while Mum silently handed out plates and napkins. Remus noticed his mother seemed to be trying very hard not to look at Lindi's neck (or Lindi at all, for that matter), but was failing rather miserably. Lindi seemed to be aware of this, too, and kept fidgeting with her hair and the collar of her top, making her seem very guilty.

_Oh, for the love of Merlin_, Remus nearly groaned. How could something so ridiculous threaten to ruin this nearly perfect day? He crossed the room and sat next to Lindi, eager for them to finish eating so he could get this all straightened out. When everyone had their food, James started talking about something to do with the state of Quidditch and the impact the Death Eaters were having on match attendance. Remus was very thankful for James's conversational skills, though he noticed it hadn't yet distracted his mum. She seemed lost in her own _unpleasant_ thoughts.

Lindi leaned over very slightly towards Remus. "I think your mum saw my neck," she whispered. "I think she thinks that we—_you know_. I think she's upset about it."

Remus barely suppressed a laugh at the enormity of her understatement.

"Whatever gives you _that_ impression?" Sirius whispered from Lindi's other side.

"Well, she looks at me like she hates me," whispered Lindi very earnestly, clearly oblivious to the irony in Sirius's voice. "And I'm pretty sure she saw the bruises when we first got here. I forgot to hide them, in all the excitement." Lindi looked desperately embarrassed.

"All the _excitement_?" Sirius said starting to grin.

Remus knew Sirius was being rather condescending, as the arrival at the Lupin house couldn't exactly be described as _exciting_. Lindi shot Sirius a look. Apparently the condescension hadn't been lost on her.

"I've never been to Remus's house before," she said defensively.

"Well, that's true," said Sirius, still grinning.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Lindi was too concerned about how Remus's mum was behaving to let herself get distracted by Sirius's behavior. Remus thought it was probably _fortunate_, since keeping the peace between Lindi and Sirius was of more lasting importance than the ridiculous misunderstanding of the _love bites_.

So he was actually relieved when Lindi turned back to him and whispered, "_Anyway_, she keeps looking at my neck."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it after we eat," Remus said. "It'll be fine."

"She _did_ see them then, didn't she? Did she say something to you?" she whispered shrilly. "Does she think they are—_love bites_?"

"Just don't worry about it, Lindi."

But when he and Lindi looked up, Mum was watching with a sour expression on her face. She still hadn't been dragged into the Quidditch conversation with James and the others. "Is there something wrong, Lindi?" she asked.

The color drained from Lindi's face as everyone turned to her. For a moment, Remus thought she might try to offer some sort of explanation. It made him a little nervous, since he knew how awful she was at telling lies. But, instead, she shook her head looking very guilty indeed. "No, Ma'am."

Mum looked back down at her untouched sandwich.

"Ooo, she hates me," Lindi groaned quietly.

"She doesn't _hate_ you," Remus insisted, looking up to see if he'd said it too loudly. Mum was picking irritably at the crust of her bread. "Trust me; she's much more upset with _me_ than with you."

"But you didn't do anything wrong!"

"Neither did _you_," Remus reminded her, smiling supportively. "Now don't _worry _about it."

"What are you going to tell them?" she asked, clearly unable to stop worrying.

"Lindi, please trust me; I'll handle it."

But that was obviously easier said than done. The fact that his mother looked like she'd just eaten a lemon every time she glanced over at them _was_ a bit unnerving. It didn't take long for the pressure to be more than Lindi could handle. She sat there, fidgeting with her collar, not eating. She kept glancing up at his mother, who kept glaring at _him_.

"Mrs. Lupin!" Lindi finally blurted. "Please don't be upset with Remus. He didn't do this!" Lindi motioned to her neck. "He's a perfect gentleman!"

Remus's face burned instantly. Lindi might not have thought so, if she'd witnessed that dream he'd been having this morning, but under the circumstances, he wouldn't argue.

Mum sat there looking stunned. It could have been from Lindi's outburst, or the fact that his proper mother wasn't in the habit of discussing this sort of thing in public, or just sheer relief, but she didn't respond and Lindi plunged forward with her confession.

"My friend, Darlene, did it," she said. With that revelation, Mum's jaw dropped, but Lindi didn't seem to notice, in her frantic state. "Actually, she's not my friend anymore. She's a really hateful girl I only _thought_ was my friend! I don't know why it took my so long to realize it. I should have told her to bugger off a long time ago."

Remus held his breath, glancing sideways at Sirius, who shook his head, rolling his eyes as Lindi continued unraveling the story in the rambling way she had of talking when she was nervous. Remus couldn't help smiling, and he knew it would probably have to be explained all over, in the end. The bewildered look on Mum's face at the thought of Lindi getting the _love bites_ from Darlene proved it.

"But I still shouldn't have been fighting with her," said Lindi, ashamed, and his mum's eyes narrowed in further confusion. "I should have just walked away, but when she said Remus was only with me because of my—"

"Lindi!" Remus interrupted, before Lindi blurted out the whole bit about how he wasn't interested in her arse and bristols. Mum really didn't need to hear all that. "It wasn't _your_ fault; _she _attacked _you_. It was the punch, Mum."

"The punch?" his mother asked, looking absolutely baffled.

"Some _idiot_ spiked the punch with a potion last night and completely disrupted the ball!" Lily said, annoyed. "It made everyone go crazy. Lindi wasn't the only one who ended up in a fight."

If Remus had had time to consider it, he would have felt sorry for James. For once, James actually looked more hurt or embarrassed than insulted by Lily's words, though he managed to shake it off quickly, covering his guilt.

"Someone put something in the punch that made you get into a fight with this girl and _that's_ how you got those marks on your neck?" asked his mother.

Lindi made a humiliated face and nodded.

"For heaven's sake, what kind of potion would make a girl bite you?" Mum asked in amazement.

"What?" Lindi asked, very confused. "No, Darlene didn't _bite_ me. She's a little hostile, but she's not _crazy_. She was only trying to _strangle_ me."

"Which isn't crazy at all," mumbled Peter, more audibly than he might have intended.

Lindi turned towards Peter and he seemed to shrink under her gaze. Perhaps he was afraid he had insulted her and she would be angry with him, but Lindi didn't look angry.

"You're right," she said slowly. "She _is_ crazy. The whole fight was crazy!" Lindi covered her eyes with her hands, looking mortified.

"Well," said Peter. "_She_ can't blame it all on the punch. She's been crazy for a while."

Peter seemed to re-inflate as Lindi grinned back at him gratefully.

"So, let me get this straight," said Dad. "Someone spiked the punch; you drank it, along with this Darlene person; Darlene attacked you and tried to strangle you, leaving all those bruises around your neck?"

Lindi nodded miserably.

Dad looked at Mum and smiled. "It sounds like quite an interesting evening. I'm just glad nothing more _serious _happened, aren't you, Rena?" he asked pointedly.

"You have no idea," Mum said going red in the face. She finally looked at Remus without the sour expression. It had been replaced with a small smile of relief. It was nice to feel like she recognized him again. Then, she turned to Lindi. "Well—I have a good bruise-healing paste you can use, Lindi. It'll help with pain, too. I'm sure your neck must be sore if she choked you hard enough to leave all those bruises."

Relief washed across Lindi's face. "Thank you, Mrs. Lupin. It doesn't hurt, though. It's not as bad as it looks. I just bruise really easily," Lindi said. "But I would like to get rid of them before I go back to Rosmerta's. I'd rather not have to explain it again. It's so embarrassing."

"I can understand that. I'll get it for you just as soon as we finish eating," said Mum, suddenly much friendlier.

"Thank you," said Lindi, and she turned and gave Remus the brightest little smile.

_Now this is more like it!_ Remus thought happily.

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When they had finished eating, they put their winter gear back on and headed out into the forest to get a Christmas tree. It was very festive, trudging along through the lightly falling veil of snow.

The warm spicy smell of wassail simmering on the stove greeted them when they returned to the house. A plate of mince pies sat on the sideboard. Now that Mum no longer thought her son was using Lindi's neck as a billboard to advertise that they were snogging, she was in a _much_ better mood and determined to turn this into a fully fledged tree-trimming party.

They set the tree up in a corner of the living room and Dad came in with fairies to light it. Boxes of ornaments sat on the floor waiting. Remus wondered what his friends might think of them. He had made many of the decorations himself over the years. There was only one ornament that he knew would embarrass him and he decided it would be best to find it and put it aside for this year. He searched through the first box while Lindi and Lily tackled his creature collection. Those were some of his favorites. He had started making them the year after his bite, giving him something to occupy the time during his recoveries.

"These are really good, Remus," said Lily as she inspected a bright blue Billywig, thumping the wings to make them spin and finding a place for it on the tree.

"Thank you," he said and started digging in the box for the embarrassing ornament again.

"Do you want to see something adorable?" Mum said, straightening up from one of the other boxes and walking towards the girls.

"Of course," said Lily and they both stopped what they were doing.

_Oh, crap!_

His mother had managed to find the ornament before him.

"_Awwww!_" Lily and Lindi both sighed the way girls do when they think something is really cute or sweet.

_Aww is right—bloody hell, Mum! _Remus felt his face getting very hot.

"Is that Remus?" Lindi asked, grinning widely.

"In the flesh!" laughed Mum.

"I'll say," Lily chuckled.

Remus wanted to crawl under a rock.

"What is he doing?" Lindi asked.

"Exactly what it looks like," said Mum. "He's climbing the Christmas tree."

She explained how Remus had been nearly three and _already_ obsessed with magical creatures, or creatures of any kind, for that matter.

"I wouldn't say I'm obsessed, Mum," Remus defended himself. "I just find them interesting."

"Whatever you say, Remus," Mum winked at the girls and went on with the story. She told them how he had been in the bath while Dad set the fairies into the Christmas tree that year. "But that tree was particularly large and Richard thought it would be nice to have a few more fairies for it. So he came into the bathroom to tell me he was going to try to get some more. Of course, Remus wanted to go see the fairies, too, but Richard told him it was too cold and he could see the ones on the tree when he finished his bath. Well, that excited him, so after I wrapped him in his towel and turned my back for a second, to drain the tub, he was off. I found his towel in the hallway and _him_ trying to climb the tree to get at the fairies, which, as you can see, were hiding from him, up at the top. His bare bum was all I could see sticking out of the branches. I should have got him out of there immediately, but I just had to get a picture of it."

By now, James, Sirius, and Peter had rounded the tree and were passing the ornament to one another, snickering.

"Blimey, Remus, didn't that hurt?" asked Peter, wincing.

"I don't remember it. I wasn't even _three_," said Remus, not wanting to keep the conversation going.

"Well, obviously not enough to stop him, but it had to hurt. Spruce needles are sharp," said his mother. "He had little prickles all over himself."

"_All _over?" asked James, pulling a face.

"Potter!" cried Lily, though she looked like she was going to burst out laughing.

Remus could have strangled his mum. Heat crept up under his collar when he glanced at Lindi's face and saw her lips pursed tightly, trying not to smile.

"Alright," said Remus, snatching the ornament away from James. "Are we going to finish decorating this tree or stand around looking at an old picture?"

After a few more minutes of teasing him about his cute little bum and a few whispered comments about the dangers of nude tree climbing from Peter, James, and Sirius, they managed to move on with decorating the tree.

Lindi was looking intently at the model of the Chinese Fireball, a particular favorite of Remus's. The dragon was one of the last ornaments he had made, and he was rather proud of it. He had even convinced his Mother to help him charm it. Remus pulled his wand, unable to resist the temptation.

Lindi gasped and bobbled it in her hands when the dragon flapped its wings and expelled a puff of white smoke from its nostrils. Maybe that hadn't been such a good idea. Remus would have regretted it if the dragon had been damaged. She looked over at him and caught him with his wand.

"You startled me," she smiled. "Don't do that."

"Sorry," he said, smiling back.

"This is really wonderful, you know."

"Thank you," he said. "Mum helped me with it. I wanted it to breath fire, of course, but she refused on the grounds that it would set the tree ablaze and burn the house down." Lindi giggled.

"Uh-oh," said Lily bent over the box. She held up a twine hoop like the ones tied to each of the ornaments as hangers. "One of your creatures has escaped." She bent down and started to search delicately through the remaining ornaments.

Remus grinned. "You won't find it, Lily."

"Is this just an extra, then?"

"Not exactly," Remus said, slightly embarrassed for some reason. "That's a thestral."

Lily laughed, holding up the empty hanger, but confusion swept over Lindi's face for a brief instant. Remus knew it was because Lindi was unfortunate enough to know what a thestral _really_ looked like. He hoped she didn't think he meant to make light of the significance of the thestral's invisibility, but the fog quickly lifted from her eyes and she looked up, smiling at him.

"How old were you when you made that?"

"I was five."

"Really? That was very clever." Then her gaze turned thoughtful, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You still can't see them, can you?" she asked. He shook his head no. "I'm glad. I hope they'll always be just an empty hoop of twine to you."

Remus didn't know what to say. He couldn't think very well. She was so near and looked so lovely and fragile. An incredible urge to take her in his arms and kiss all of her hurt away surged through him. He was suddenly very aware that they hadn't had a moment alone together all day. As he stared at her, trying to decide if he could get away with stealing a kiss, Sirius let out a bark of laughter from behind the tree. Remus looked around and caught his mother watching. She didn't look like she'd eaten a lemon, but there was a definite uneasiness in her eyes. She forced a smile and walked out into the hall towards the kitchen.

As badly as Remus wanted to kiss Lindi, he was glad he hadn't. Even though Mum knew he hadn't left love bites all over Lindi's neck, she had to realize that they had at least kissed by now. Still, Remus didn't really think she was quite ready to _see_ it just yet.

However, his mother was no longer in the room. Remus turned back and reached for Lindi's hand, hopefully, but she looked up at him, then turned away, looking around the room at the others, her way of emphasizing that they weren't alone. He knew he wasn't going to get more than the flirtatious grin and soft brush of her fingers against his palm as she pulled away and went to the sideboard to pour a cup of wassail.

Oh, he really couldn't wait until they had a minute to themselves. He forced himself to stop staring at her and went back to decorating the tree.

"Hey, Moony," said James. "Is that your idea of a Christmas ornament?" He indicated the model of a Quintaped, a five-legged spider-like creature that Lily was holding. "If it is, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go along with your Mum and say you might be just a bit obsessed with creatures."

Remus chuckled. "Mum hates that one. She wouldn't let me make any other _creepy_ creatures for the tree after that."

"I don't blame her," said Lily, wrinkling her nose. "It really is creepy."

"Not nearly as creepy as it is when I do this," said Remus and he tapped the Quintaped with his wand, making its five legs squirm.

"Ooooo," Lily groaned, laughing. "That's an _awful_ Christmas ornament."

Remus grinned mischievously. "I charmed it second year, just to annoy her."

"Here, give me that," Sirius said quietly, taking the ornament from Lily. "Watch this."

A predatory gleam flashed in his eyes. He pulled out his wand and waited as Lindi returned to the tree and pulled the lid off of a new box. She reached up to hang a glittering bauble on a branch. Sirius guided the Quintaped silently through the air. Remus knew this was not a good idea, but watched, nonetheless, as Sirius landed the wiggling thing onto Lindi's shoulder.

She looked around to see what was tapping her and her eyes widened to the size of buffet plates. A blood curdling scream split the air and she started flailing about wildly, slapping the fake creature off of her shoulder and shattering it against the wall. Still, that didn't seem to be good enough and she shrieked and squealed, jumping around, slapping at herself as if she had an infestation of the things.

Meanwhile, James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily were doubled over in fits. Dad was maintaining his composure, but only just, and Mum came charging in from the kitchen to see what was wrong.

"What on earth happened?" cried Mum.

"There was a huge spider on me!" Lindi screeched. "Are there anymore?" She continued brushing herself frantically.

James was convulsing with laughter so that he could barely speak. "Gawd blimey, Moony; she is such a—a—_girl_."

"You say that like it's an insult," laughed Lily, sobering up just a bit.

Of course, Remus knew what James meant (and if she'd been willing to admit it, so did Lily). He remembered the scene in the corridor with Professor McGonagall and the thistleberry worms. Lindi really was a bit of a _girly_ girl, but he couldn't help himself; Remus liked her that way. At the very least, it was good for a laugh, and if he was completely honest about it, it probably played into his desire and need to take care of her, which made him feel—well, like a _man_. And he liked that! It probably made him a chauvinist, but he just couldn't help himself. He rushed toward her and grabbed her hands to stop her hurting herself or knocking the tree over.

"Lindi, calm down! It wasn't real!" he said, trying not to laugh. "It was one of my ornaments."

"_What_?"

"It was one of my creature ornaments," he repeated.

Dad picked the splintered fragments up off the floor and held them out in his hand to show her.

"Wha—how—who _did _that?"

No one would point the finger, but Sirius laughed. "Sorry, Dellington, I just couldn't resist."

Her mouth hung open as she gaped at him, still breathing rapidly. "You—you nearly scared me to death! Are you trying to give me a_ heart attack_?"

Sirius only laughed harder at her hysteria.

Lindi took a deep breath and calmed herself. She looked around at everyone snickering at her. A self-conscious smile was creeping onto her face as she must have realized how hilarious her reaction would have looked to the others. "Someday, I will get you back for this, Sirius," she said.

Sirius grinned wickedly. "Now _you're_ scaring _me_," he teased her. "But give it your best shot." Sirius did love a challenge.

Lindi groaned in obvious frustration. She turned back to Remus. "I'm sorry I broke your—er—"

"Quintaped."

"Oh, right—well, can you fix it?"

"NO!" insisted his mother. "And all I can say is good riddance! I have always hated that thing. I just never had the heart to break it myself. Now, let's get this tree finished, so we can enjoy it for a few minutes before you lot need to get to bed. I'm sure you must be getting tired after last night."

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After the tree was decorated, they had a light supper of soup and bread, then retired to the living room to relax for a bit. It had been a day that Remus almost wished would never end. Almost…

But the soft glow of the fairy lights twinkling on the tree and the warm, crackling fire were putting him in a very _romantic_ mood. All day, he'd been mere inches from Lindi, but he hadn't even been able to run his fingers through her hair once. He was ready for everyone else to call it a day so that he might have some time alone with her. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on the conversations going on around him. He was far more interested in the way the lights reflected in Lindi's eyes and glistened on her moist lips…

"_Remus,_" he heard someone say. He looked around and saw that everyone was watching him. His stomach squirmed and he wondered how long he'd been staring at Lindi's mouth.

Lily's eyes were smiling at him. Mum's were not, so he had probably been staring for a while, and unlike the time in the Three Broomsticks, this time, he couldn't blame it on the effects of the full moon.

_Crap, Remus, Mum's finally calmed down; don't blow it_. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"Your dad was just telling us about Adamson. Guess where he is now," said Sirius smirking.

"Azkaban?" Remus said, offering the first thing to pop into his head.

"No, but that's where he belongs!" snapped Mum, apparently forgetting Remus's indiscrete staring.

"Rena, he didn't break the law," Dad said calmly. "The girl was of age."

"She was still a student!" Mum said enraged. "It was disgraceful!"

"I agree, and Professor Dumbledore did the right thing by dismissing him, but it still wasn't against the law."

"Well, where _is_ he?" asked Remus.

"He's working at Borgin and Burkes," said James, eagerly.

"Isn't that the shop with the Dark Arts things in Knockturn Alley?" asked Lindi.

"Yes," said Remus.

"Why would he go to work in a place like that?" Lindi asked.

"It seems exactly like the sort of place he'd work, if you ask me," said Peter, who had always been a bit afraid of their former professor.

"How did you find out he was working there?" Remus asked his father.

"I helped Lloyd Netterman with a job—he's a friend of mine who works for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," said Dad. "The ruins of Slain Castle, over near Aberdeen, were overrun with Red Caps. A few Muggle teenagers have been killed roaming around over the past few years. Of course, the Muggles just think they fell on loose stones, but back in November, a wealthy wizard and his family from the States were visiting and went to tour them. The Red Caps nearly got their six year old daughter when they got separated. It isn't the first time something like that's happened, so the Ministry decided to do something about it. Anyway, somehow word got back to Borgin that we were getting them and he sent Adamson to make Lloyd an offer for them."

"Why would anyone want a load of Red Caps?" asked Lindi. "They're awful creatures."

"Why indeed?" said Dad darkly.

"Some wizards use them to keep Muggles away from their properties," Remus explained.

"But Red Caps _kill_ Muggles," Lindi objected.

"Yes, they _do_," said Remus solemnly.

The horrible realization showed in her eyes. Remus hated to see it, especially now when they were so happy, but she needed to be aware of these things.

"He didn't sell them to Adamson, did he?" asked James.

"Of course not," said Dad. "We turned them over to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."

Lindi grimaced, but said nothing.

"Lets not talk about it anymore," said Mum, clearly finding the topic distasteful. "It's late; you lot need to go to bed."

"You'll get no argument from me, Mrs. Lupin," said Lily.

With that, everyone stood and started saying their goodnights. Remus was afraid Lindi was going to leave before he had a chance to ask her to stay. He couldn't figure out how he was going to get that moment alone without everyone, namely Mum and Dad, knowing it. He supposed he could always wait until everyone was in their room and then sneak down to see her. But maybe he'd have another option.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, do you mind if I borrow a book? I left the one I was reading at school and I get to sleep much easier if I have something to read for a few minutes," Lindi said.

"Not at all, Lindi, take whatever you like," said Dad.

"Thank you," said Lindi and she headed over to the wall of bookshelves.

Dad started to follow the others out, but Mum hesitated. Apparently, she had noticed that they were about to leave Remus and Lindi in the room alone.

"Can I help you find something, Lindi?" she asked. "What sort of book are you looking for?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Lindi. "I was just going to see what caught my eye, if that's alright."

"Of course, I'll just show you how things…"

"Rena, I think Remus can show her how everything is organized," said Dad, smirking.

Mum was so very obvious sometimes. The fact that she wasn't really pleased with Dad at the moment was fairly obvious, too, but he just smiled, reached out and pulled her hand.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the fire," said Mum, pulling back.

"Remus, do you think you can handle the fire?" Dad asked, looking like he was barely able to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"I think I can do that." Remus didn't bother adding the "Thanks, Dad."

His father smiled knowingly and wished them goodnight, practically dragging Mum out with him.

_Finally_, they were alone. Lindi looked over at the doorway, as if half expecting Mum to return, then she turned to him and smiled demurely. Remus tried to stroll over to her casually, not wanting to appear too eager, though he would have liked to hurdle the couch.

He wondered if she'd mind if he just grabbed her and started kissing her without any sort of preamble. But then again, maybe he should work his way into it a little more subtly. He didn't want her to think he only liked her for snogging anymore.

"So, what sort of book _do_ you want?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, though he noticed his voice was a little huskier than usual (for this time in the moon cycle).

She shrugged, looking up at him through her long lashes. Now if he was going to remain nonchalant, she was going to have to stop looking at him like that. He really loved it when she was coy. He wondered if she knew what that did to him and if she was doing it on purpose. Of course, it might just be that she was still a little nervous about the whole dating thing. The way she swallowed when he reached out and took her hands made him think it might be her nerves. She batted her lashes slowly.

_Ah, bugger all_. He didn't care if she knew exactly what she was doing and he was playing right into her hands; after all, there was no place he would rather be. He leaned down and kissed her. At first she seemed a bit stiff, but in no time, she was melting into his arms. The next thing he knew, he felt her fingers brush his neck as she slipped her arms around it, making gooseflesh erupt all over him. He didn't know or care how long they kissed, but the sound of the floor creaking made Lindi start, pulling her head back quickly and she looked around to the door.

They stood stock still, listening for sounds in the hallway, ready to jump apart at the sound of footsteps, but none came. It had probably been his friends upstairs. Lindi looked back up at him, guiltily.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But I couldn't help myself. I've wanted to do that all day."

"Me too," she said breathlessly. "But I think we should find a book now."

"Probably," Remus said. After all, Mum would likely be checking up on them, under the pretense of needing a cup of warm milk, or something. He loosened his hold on Lindi's waist and her arms slipped down from round his neck, letting a chill air take their place. "So, what kind of book _do_ you want?"

"You pick something for me," she said. "Maybe one of your favorites?"

"My favorites are all up in my room."

"Oh," she said. "I guess that rules those out."

"Maybe you can pick one out tomorrow," he suggested.

"In your room?" she asked, looking as though it was rather scandalous of him even to suggest it.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Well, we'll have to make sure the door stays open, or Mum might have an apoplectic fit."

"Oh, we don't want that," Lindi giggled.

"No!" he agreed emphatically. "So we better find you a book."

They searched the tomes lining the shelves.

"Wow, your dad must have everything ever written on Magical Creatures," Lindi said after several minutes.

"It's his passion, as well as his career," said Remus.

"I can tell. Look at this; he has six different books on Werewolves."

Just hearing her say the word made him feel like the floor had dropped a foot or two and left his stomach behind. He really didn't want to think about that now. Lindi reached up and pulled one of the books from the shelf, _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. Oh, he really didn't want her reading _that_ one right now. Actually, he had thought about giving it to her for Christmas—if he could get his nerve up to do it. It gave a very good account of what life was really like for someone with Lycanthropy. He knew Lindi would need to know those things before she could decide if there was a chance of them having any sort of real, lasting relationship. But for now, for a little while longer, he wanted to pretend none of that mattered, or even existed.

He held his breath while she read the inside cover. "Wow, this looks really interesting," she said. "But it sounds awfully sad." She closed the book and slipped it back onto the shelf. "I'm in the mood for something a little lighter."

Remus forced himself to smile, although he felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. _What did you expect? It isn't exactly a comedy! Just because she doesn't want to read it now, doesn't mean she can't handle it. It's just that it's Christmas, and she's on holiday…You don't want to think about it either._

She pulled another book from the shelf. "Now this might work," she said, steering him out of his darkening mood. Remus looked over her shoulder and smiled when he read the title, _Quintapeds: Why Firewhiskey and Feuds Don't' Mix_. It was very like her to want to learn more about the Quintapeds after the incident earlier that day. She started to turn away from the shelf, and then stopped suddenly. "Oh, are these pictures of you?" she asked, laying the book down and pulling the family photo album from the shelf.

"Yes, well, they're of the family."

"Will you show them to me?"

He considered the uncomfortable questions some of the pictures might invoke, but looking into her eager face, he couldn't resist the excuse to spend a few more minutes with her. Otherwise, she would take a book and go back to her room and it might be a while before they had another opportunity to be alone. Not to mention, she'd probably find it very strange and be a little hurt if he said no.

"I'd love to."

They sat together on the couch. The fire was nearly burned down, but it crackled pleasantly and the embers were glowing and warm. Lindi snuggled closer to him, laying the opened book on their laps. It was all very cozy. He hadn't looked at these pictures in a long time. He enjoyed seeing her reaction and explaining where, what, and who was in each one, especially when she kept telling him how adorable he was.

But then she turned a page and the first picture of him, post-bite, stared back at them. It was his fourth Christmas, two and a half months after the attack. He sat opening gifts at his Grandparents' home as they and his mum looked on. The scars on his face were bright and raw.

Lindi gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Not quite so adorable there, I'm afraid," he said, smiling in understanding. He sat quietly, calmly waiting for the question, but his stomach was knotting in apprehension. What was he going to tell her, the _truth_, or his usual lie? He really didn't want to lie to her, but…

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I—it just sort of took me off guard. I didn't realize you were so young when it happened."

"It's alright," he said, feeling his throat constricting somewhat. He was actually discussing it with Lindi. This wasn't exactly the time or place he would have chosen, but there didn't seem to be much he could do about it now.

But she had said, "when _it_ happened"…Did she already know? Had she figured it out on her own? He watched her, waiting for her to say something—anything. She ran her hand over the photograph as the image of the child, Remus, looked up grinning at the new toy dragon he'd just unwrapped.

"No, you were still adorable," she insisted. She ran her hand over the next photograph, the one with Mum holding him on her lap, brushing his fringe off his face lovingly as he slept. "Your poor mum." There were tears in Mum's eyes, but she was smiling bravely. Remus remembered her looking that way a lot over the years. "I can't believe she lets your father keep them here, after that. I'd probably hate them, if I were her," Lindi said, her own eyes a bit watery.

Remus looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I know it's their nature, but still," she said. "I don't think I could help it. That isn't the one that did it, is it?"

What was she talking about?

"Which _one_?" Remus asked.

"Out in the paddock, by the barn," said Lindi. "I saw it when we came back with the tree."

_Ahh, the Hippogriff_…So, she had somehow heard the story he had always used to explain the scars. He was surprised at how disappointed he was. It would have been such a relief if she had already known the truth.

"No, that isn't the one who did it," he said calmly. "How did you hear that it was a Hippogriff?"

She squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "Peter told us."

"Peter did?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, because Darlene asked him about it one day when you were—dating her."

"I see," Remus said. He stared at her for a moment, struggling with the decision; should he tell her the truth, or let her believe the lie for a while longer? At least _he_ hadn't been the one to deceive her.

_Don't lie to yourself, too, Remus. It's a lie of omission and you know it! _But he couldn't seem to make any words come out. He had been having such a wonderful time and he didn't want to spoil it. She was watching him so intently, and then she reached up and delicately traced the scar under his eye with her finger, making a tiny shiver course through him.

Lindi stopped, pulling her hand away. "I'm sorry. Am I embarrassing you?"

Surprisingly, he wasn't _embarrassed_. He was scared to death, afraid that she would never touch him like that again, if she learned the truth behind the scars. Yes, she had declared that she would _shagga werewolf_, but Remus knew that things were often much easier to accept when they were theoretical. It was simply impossible to know how one might actually react when faced with the reality. He didn't think he was ready to test her resolve when they had only just started _really _getting to know one another. _But is that fair to her?_

"No, I'm just not used to talking about them," he said softly, trying to force the rising guilt back down.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories."

He smiled wryly. _As though the _bad memories_ had been buried_… "It's alright."

They sat glancing at one another, neither seeming to know what else to say. Remus didn't want her to think the scars were an off-limits topic. After all, they were staring at her every time she looked at him. He knew that making them taboo would only make them more pronounced in her mind. He could imagine her treating them just as his mother had treated the _love bites_ on Lindi's neck, trying not to look at them. That would mean she would stop looking into his face. He certainly didn't want that. He loved the way she looked at him.

"Do they bother you?" he asked.

"No, I actually—" she stopped, looking slightly abashed. "No."

_Crap!_ They _did_ bother her. He didn't want her to feel that she couldn't be honest with him. Granted he wasn't being honest with her, but…

"What is it, Lindi?"

"Nothing," she said. He looked at her pointedly, trying to get her to tell him. "I just—it sounds so awful, now that I know—"

"Lindi, just tell me."

"I sort of like them," she said so softly he could barely hear her. He considered that he must have misheard. How on earth could she actually _like_ them? She looked up into his blank face and frowned. "I know it sounds so cold, after what you went through to get them. I never really thought of how much you must have suffered. I just didn't realize you were so young. They've faded so much; they didn't seem like they would have been that bad. _Stupid_ Hippogriff—"

"Lindi," Remus smiled. "It's alright." He was so relieved to know that she wasn't repulsed by them. Of course, if he'd thought about it for a second, he would have known she wasn't. Otherwise, she wouldn't look at him the way she did. _Of course, if she knew what really caused them_… He forced the thought aside. "I'm glad you, er, _like_ them, although I think you must be barmy."

"I am not," she said, finally smiling again. "You just don't realize how handsome you are."

Now he _was_ embarrassed, but very pleasantly so. She seemed a bit embarrassed by her candor, too, and started looking around the room, avoiding eye contact. He felt himself grinning stupidly. He knew she wouldn't have been snogging him if she wasn't at least somewhat attracted to him, but still, hearing it out loud was very exciting. It reminded him of when she had admitted she thought he was good looking when Lily had asked her all those months ago. She glanced up and caught him grinning. They both blushed furiously.

_Merlin's beard, Remus, she turns you into a blooming berk_! But he wouldn't have had it any other way. He loved the positively giddy feeling he got in his chest when he looked in her eyes. Surely that was the way he was supposed to feel when he was in…

He forced himself to stop the thought. He was getting a bit ahead of himself. He needed to slow down and take things one step at a time. Luckily, the way they were looking at each other, kissing seemed to be the next natural step.

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"_Ahem_," a throat was cleared loudly.

Lindi jerked back so violently, she nearly ripped his bottom lip off. As soon as he determined that he wasn't bleeding, Remus looked around and saw his mother standing in the doorway, looking agitated. _Oh, crap!_

"It's getting awfully late," His mother said coolly. "I think it's time for the two of you to get some sleep."

Lindi jumped up from the couch as if a spring had snapped. "Yes, Ma'am." She practically sprinted around the couch and toward the door. "Goodnight, Mrs. Lupin."

"Good night."

Lindi slipped around her and into the hall before turning back and grimacing guiltily at him, behind his mum's back. Then she disappeared down the corridor. It was all Remus could do to keep from smiling, but he didn't want to infuriate Mum. She stood glowering at him until they could hear the door to Lindi's room click shut.

_Blimey, this is awkward._

"Mum," he started. "We were looking at the—"

"I'm well aware of what you were doing, Remus," she said tightly.

_Oh boy!_ "We were just kissing, Mum," he said.

She stared at him, brow cocked severely. She huffed a couple of times, as if she couldn't decide what to say. Remus waited for the rant to begin, but slowly, her glare softened, making him even more anxious. "You really like her, don't you?" she asked, sounding very worried.

_Oh, no_…That wasn't exactly what he had expected. He almost thought the rant would be better, but the conversation he had been dreading was upon him. He nodded calmly. "Yes. She's a very nice person."

"And very _pretty_," she added, though it sounded like an accusation.

"Yes, that too," he confessed. "Look, Mum, I think she's very pretty, and I really like her, but we were _just_ kissing." He wondered if she could see through his calm exterior, or if she knew he was sorely downplaying his feelings. He might be a good liar, but this was his mum.

She watched him intently for a moment, as if she were analyzing him. "Does she know?" she asked flatly.

Remus sighed. This was the part he had really been dreading. "No," he said, not even pretending he didn't know what she meant.

"Do you think it's wise to let yourself get _romantically_ involved with a girl who doesn't know?" Mum asked, cringing slightly at the word _romantically_. Remus had to smile. Clearly, this was nearly as hard on her as it was on him.

"No, probably not," he admitted.

"But since when did wisdom ever win out in matters of the heart?" Dad asked, coming into the room.

This was becoming more awkward by the minute. Dad smiled sympathetically.

"Almost never," smirked Mum, dismally. "But that's no reason to throw it to the wind."

"Isn't it caution that gets thrown to the wind?" Dad teased.

"In this case, I'd say they are one and the same," snapped Mum.

"We're just dating, Mum," Remus tried to calm her.

"_Are_ you?" she asked almost desperately. "Because I get the feeling it's more than that, Remus. And I just don't want to see you get hurt?"

Remus looked away, staring into the fire, now reduced to glowing cinders. Why was his mother so sure he would be hurt? Didn't she think there was a chance that things might actually work in his favor? He had his own doubts, of course. He knew the statistics on werewolves and relationships, but whenever he looked into Lindi's eyes, he couldn't help but be hopeful. At any rate, he thought it was definitely worth the risk. And what would Mum have him do, break things off now that he finally had what he wanted? He was going to be miserable if they broke up, regardless of whether it was _his_ choice or Lindi's. At least now, there was a _chance _for things to work out, small though it might be. He looked back at his mum and smiled bracingly.

"Believe me, Mum; I don't want to get hurt, either," he said as lightly as he could manage, under the circumstances. "But if I do, I won't be the first person to get his heart broken—or the last. So please don't worry about me."

Of course, he knew he was asking the impossible from her. He could tell she wanted to say more, but mercifully, Dad interrupted before she could. "It's getting late."

"Yes," said Remus, seizing the opportunity to get away. "I'm really tired, Mum. I'll see you in the morning."

He wished his parents goodnight and escaped to the comfort of his own room. The others were sleeping when he crept in and pulled on his pajamas. Given how exhausted he was, he found it difficult to fall asleep. He kept hearing his mother's question playing in his head. "_Do you think it's wise to get romantically involved with a girl who doesn't know_?" Even worse was the concern that it was not only unwise but _unfair_. He tossed and turned as the clock ticked off the minutes. But finally, he managed to force his worries into the back of his mind by focusing, instead, on how Lindi had looked at him, and said he was handsome—and kissed him. With those memories swirling in his mind, he was able to drift off into sleep.


	41. Blossoming

**Chapter 41 Blossoming**

**_A/N: I would like to thank MaraudersWolf for generously agreeing to beta for me while my beta, deanine, tends to more pressing matters. You should all give her a nice round of applause, as she has saved you from some awkward reading. Long and winding makes for a nice country road, but not very good sentences. So, thank you very much MaraudersWolf._**

**_A/N2: MaraudersWolf and I both agreed that having Remus, at this age, using the word "men" when thinking of himself and his contemporaries just didn't quite seem right. After advice from the Being British thread on the MNFF forums and a conversation with a friend who is a British male, I have been informed that any and all British males of this age would think of themselves as "lads". I make a note of this because, as an American, I always thought of lads as really young boys. But, apparently I'm wrong. ;) So, lads British for young men. This doesn't make you nearly as curious about the chapter as the definition of eunuch did, does it? Well, on to the chapter anyway._**

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Remus awoke the next morning to the sound of clanging pots. After the rather intense discussion with his parents the night before, he had forgotten to silence the pipe when he'd come to bed. Looking around, he saw that the others were already up, so he checked the bedside clock. _Nine forty-five_…He was having quite a lie in. He dragged himself out of bed, threw on some clothes and hurried downstairs. He found everyone lingering over their finished breakfast. His mother was pulling things from the pantry, preparing for the Chocolate Blossom lesson.

"Well, good morning," said Lily brightly, making a show of checking her watch. "Yes, it's still morning."

Lindi flashed him a furtive grin and then glanced quickly at his mum to see if she'd been caught, as if smiling were no longer allowed. Remus really hoped his mum hadn't been giving Lindi the cold shoulder after what she'd witnessed last night. From the cheerful way everyone was acting, he doubted that she had. Besides, it was highly unlikely that his mother would _intentionally_ treat Lindi badly. That just wasn't Mum's style. Still, she wasn't nearly as good at covering her feelings as Remus and his dad were, as had been painfully evident the day before.

So far, though, things in the kitchen seemed much more relaxed than they had been yesterday, before the issue of the non-existent love bites had been resolved.

"Why didn't someone wake me?" Remus asked.

"You're on holiday," said Lily.

"And we tried, but you nearly bit our heads off," added Sirius.

"Well, you growled at us, anyway," said James. "We couldn't wake you enough for you to actually bite our heads off. You must have been having _pleasant_ dreams."

"Yeah, what were you dreaming about, Remus?" asked Sirius.

Remus glared at them. Were they trying to rile his mother?

But if Mum had noticed the insinuation in their tone, she wasn't letting on. Instead, she started spooning a large helping of re-warmed porridge into a bowl. Remus went to take it from her. "There's coffee or pumpkin juice," she said pleasantly enough.

Remus was relieved that she didn't seem to be brooding over what had happened last night. He was sure his mum and dad probably had quite a talk, and Dad's cool head must have prevailed. "Thanks, Mum. Coffee would be good."

While Remus ate, the others cleared the table and got things ready to make the chocolates. As soon as he had finished his porridge, Remus cleaned his own things up and hurried off for a shower. When he returned, he found Lindi, Lily and Mum with their aprons donned, spoons and wands at the ready. The next several hours would be spent watching the girls try to make the confections.

Remus was content to watch, as he had tried to help Mum make them for years. The process was simply too much like potion making for him to enjoy or do successfully. Besides, how often did he get to sit and stare at Lindi without worrying about getting caught? She looked terribly sexy in that apron. He couldn't help thinking how she would look in one of those little black dresses with the netted hose and…_Stop it, Remus, before Mum smacks the stupid look off of your face with that spoon!_

Sirius also chose not to participate in making the candy, saying he preferred to get his _French Kisses_ from Mrs. Lupin, though he would accept them from Lily or Lindi if they turned out to be any good at it. Lindi turned redder than Mum, who threatened _Sirius_ with the wooden spoon if he didn't behave himself. Lily told him he might as well not hold his breath or better yet, _to_ hold it. James obviously appreciated this and he gave Lily a satisfied grin.

James and Peter decided it would be more fun to watch as well, especially since James had no intention of putting on one of Mum's flowered aprons. So the boys sat back and watched, though they _did_ volunteer to be taste testers.

By the time Lindi and Lily each managed to get the charm right, they were all nearly sick to their stomachs. Not to mention, they were practically covered in chocolate, having had the candies do everything from absolutely nothing to explode. Poor James had nearly choked on one that had not only blossomed, but tried to send roots right down his throat. He didn't seem too upset about it, though. He really seemed to enjoy the way Lily was fussing over him, apologizing and wiping his mouth and face gently with a towel. Of course, James couldn't help himself going overboard with the sputtering and gagging to keep her attention.

"Alright, am I going to have to give you the Heimlich maneuver?" Lily finally smirked.

"Oh, that's nice. First you try to choke me to death and now you want to poison me?" James pouted.

"_Poison_ you?" Lily said. "What are you on about?"

"You're threatening me with hemlock!"

"Not _hemlock_, you stupid prat! Heimlich!" Lily said, rolling her eyes. "The Heimlich maneuver—it's where I would grab you around the stomach and pull up to force you to cough up whatever you were choking on."

James seemed to perk up at that.

"You really don't have to resort to choking me. You can grab me anytime you want."

"_Arghhh_," Lily groaned. "On second thought, Mrs. Lupin, do you have any hemlock?"

Of course, the way the corners of her mouth twitched gave her away. Lily obviously didn't want to poison James, though she did throw her towel at him and walk away. Sirius smirked and shook his head at James; though James was too busy watching Lily to notice. Remus felt sure Sirius would have liked to tell James to show some self respect, but he just rolled his eyes instead. Lindi, on the other hand, gave Remus a rather pleased knowing look that made him sure she had seen the little twitch of Lily's mouth, too. Maybe James' antics were finally paying off, or at least not backfiring completely.

Regardless, Remus couldn't blame James for trying. He was enjoying the attention he got from Lindi just as well. He liked the way she wiped the dribbles of chocolate from the corners of his mouth and chin with her finger. She held up one particularly large glob and giggled at the mess he was making. A _very_ pleasant flutter tickled his stomach when he felt the little shiver run through her when he leaned over and sucked it off of her finger.

Of course, Mum wasn't at all thrilled when she saw him do it. He stopped _right_ _away_, wondering what on earth he'd been thinking.

It was a very good day, but it was over far too quickly. After they had finished the candy lesson, there had been a visit to the barn to see the Crups. Lindi was quite fond of them, as well as the thestral foal, though she hadn't cared much for the Dugbog Dad had captured and removed from a Mandrake farm in Kent. Something about the way the Dugbog slithered in its pool must have reminded her too much of a snake, even though it had small, webbed paws and was much thicker than a snake would get. Still, with its sharp teeth and aggressive nature, it wasn't the sort of creature one really _liked_. Remus wasn't the least bit surprised when Lindi had cringed and told them she was going back to play with the Crups some more. It seemed that Lindi preferred creatures that were warm-blooded and/or walked on four legs. Remus hoped that was a good sign. _At least you aren't a were-serpent._

Before they left the barn, Dad gave them a chance to pet the injured Hippogriff.

"Now, if he lets you, just be sure not to touch his left wing. It'll still be very tender," Dad told them as they rounded the paddock.

"What happened to him?" asked Lily.

"He got into quite a scuffle with something," said Dad. "If I had to wager a guess, I'd say it was probably a giant. There's been a lot of activity from them lately. It could have been a dragon, but there were no signs of singeing, which I'd expect to see. Whatever it was, it nearly pulled the wing right off so it was something strong. Hippogriffs aren't easily injured."

Even though the Hippogriff was warm-blooded and a victim of sorts, Lindi didn't seem particularly fond of it. Remus could tell by the look in her eyes that it wasn't fear so much as dislike that kept her from taking a turn at petting it. Guilt bubbled inside him for letting her blame an innocent creature for what had happened to him. He thought she really seemed to be taking his _injury_ personally. Remus was glad when they left the Hippogriff and returned to the house where he could find distraction from the guilty feelings in the form of Mum's pork chops and smashed potatoes.

After dinner, they moved into the living room. Dad opened the flagon of Rosmerta's mulled mead that Lindi had given them as thanks for letting her visit. One wave of his wand made it steaming and ready to pour. There was just enough for everyone to have a pint, adding to the festive atmosphere of the evening.

Mum and Dad sat on the sofa watching as the rest sat on the floor, crowded around the coffee table playing games. At the moment, Lily was giving James a run for his money in a rather brutal game of Gobstones.

Remus was soon reminded that Lindi didn't hold her drink very well. She started giggling more and more at James' increasing annoyance every time Lily outmaneuvered him.

"You think it's funny, do you, Lindi?" James asked, wiping a splatter of Gobstone ooze from his glasses. Lindi nodded. "Well, just wait until the Field Day Competition. We'll see whose laughing then."

"Well, I doubt it will be you, as you don't seem to take losing very well," Lindi grinned.

"Ouch, you aren't going to take that, are you, Prongs?" sniggered Sirius.

James snorted. "And who's going to beat me? _You_?"

"Maybe," said Lindi.

"You don't _honestly_ think you can beat me, do you?"

"Do you mean overall or just a specific event?" Lindi asked. "Because I'm only competing in the flying events."

"In _any_ event," James answered, as if it was ludicrous that Lindi would think she had a chance _at all_. James did think very highly of his athletic prowess.

"Actually, _yes_, I think I _could_," Lindi said, batting her eyes innocently. Remus wondered if she was just trying to take the mickey out of James or if it was the mead talking.

"_Really_?" James said, almost dumbstruck at the thought.

Lindi shrugged. "Yes," she said simply.

James looked over at Sirius as if he couldn't believe his ears. Sirius cocked a brow at him. After spending the last five and a half years with the two of them, Remus was sure they were silently communicating some sort of scheme. Sirius seemed to be telling James that Lindi had just thrown down the gauntlet and he expected James to pick it up.

"Alright, then," said James, turning back to Lindi. "If you're so sure, why don't we make a little wager?"

"Okay," said Lindi. "I bet you a Galleon that I can beat you in the—how about the Snitch seek?"

James snorted again. "Seeking is boring. I'm not even planning to enter that contest. I was thinking more along the lines of something like the obstacle course."

"Seeking is not boring!" insisted Lindi. "But fine, I bet you a Galleon on the obstacle course, then," she agreed, holding her hand out to seal the bet.

"_Pffftt_…a Galleon is nothing." James said derisively. "If we're going to do this, let's make it interesting."

"It isn't _nothing_ to me," Lindi said with a smirk.

"Well, we should wager something that is of equal importance to us both, don't you think?" James said shrewdly. A wily glance passed between James and Sirius. "Do you like to play Truth or Dare, Lindi?" Remus got a bad feeling about this. Lindi seemed to share his view and her brow knitted pensively, in sharp contrast to her confident smirk from a moment before.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked warily.

"If I win, you have to do something I tell you and vice versa," James grinned.

"Such as?" Lindi asked.

"I don't know. We'll decide that later," said James.

It was Lindi's turn to snort. "Do you think I'm barmy? I'm not going to make a bet like that without knowing what it is I'm betting. Do you think I want to end up getting myself killed or expelled?"

Remus smiled to himself. The pint might have made her a bit giddy, but he was glad to know it took more than that to completely muddle her thinking.

"Good girl, Lindi!" said Mum.

"Oh, I've heard what happens to people who make the mistake of playing Truth or Dare with this lot," Lindi said, jerking her thumb in their direction.

"You don't say," Mum said, casting her glance on Remus, as if surprised that he would partake in such a thing. He made a mental note not to leave Lindi and his mother alone anytime soon. "And what hap—"

"Rena," Dad interrupted. "I wouldn't even ask, if I were you. Just tell yourself that if it were anything of consequence, Professor McGonagall would have been in contact and let it go at that!"

"Those are wicked rumors anyway," said Sirius with a twisted grin.

"Rumors my eye," muttered Lily.

Remus' poor mother looked like she was bursting to ask for more information. It would be nearly torture to her, knowing that Remus was involved in something that might be less than good clean fun.

"At any rate, I want to know what I'm wagering before I agree," Lindi insisted.

"I'm not sure what I want, yet," said James. "It's a couple months off, but if you're afraid, I can't say I blame you. You know I'm going to win."

"I don't know anything of the sort," said Lindi, obviously struggling with her pride and common sense.

"Well, you could put some limitations on the type of dare," said Peter. "You know, say you can't make the other person do anything that could get them killed or expelled."

"That leaves it rather broad," said Lily. "He could end up making you do something like run through the Great Hall starkers. That might not get you killed or expelled, but it would land you in detention for at least a month!"

Lindi's eyes grew wide and so did Mum's. "What in the name of Merlin have you lot—"

"_Rena_…" Dad gave her a warning look, his lips pursed to stifle the grin. "You don't want to know."

"We have never done _that_, Mum," Remus assured her.

"Alright," said James, chuckling. "Nothing that's likely to cause serious bodily injury, getting expelled, or going starkers in the Great Hall."

"Or starkers _anywhere_," Lindi added with emphasis. "Nor in my underwear!"

Mum flinched and so did Remus, since he couldn't deny that one. He smiled at the memory of that past Truth or Dare that had ended with a former Gryffindor running through the Slytherin Common Room in her underwear. Lindi had wondered at the girl's sanity when Lily told her about it during their excursion into the Forbidden Forest.

"Fine," said James, extending his hand. "Do we have a bet?"

Lindi hesitated again, looking first at Remus. He felt greatly conflicted in his loyalties. On one hand, it was his best friends and this could be very amusing. On the other hand was the girl he was crazy about, his _girlfriend_. The memory of her fingers brushing round his neck and the warmth of her kiss were too strong not to influence him.

"Be careful," he urged her. After all, he knew the Marauders!

"Yeah, you better listen to him; he knows you can't beat me," James said in his worst exhibit of manipulation yet.

"I didn't say that," Remus said when Lindi looked up at him sharply.

"You honestly think she'd beat me?" said James, now the affronted party or _appearing_ affronted, at least. It might have been another attempt at manipulating Lindi into agreeing on the wager.

"I think it could be a very exciting race," Remus said. If there was anyone at Hogwarts who could beat James in a broomstick race, it was Lindi. She was such a brilliant flier.

"Nice cop-out, Remus," Peter snickered.

"Well, if you want to take the bet, Lindi, I'll help you with the wager. I know just what you should make him do," said Lily with a very devious grin.

"What's that?" asked James.

"You'll find out when she beats you," Lily taunted.

"Then I guess I'll never know," he said cockily.

"Fine," blurted Lindi. "It's a bet."

She and James sealed the deal with a firm handshake. Remus really hoped this didn't turn out badly. He supposed they'd find out in a couple of months.

A few more games of Exploding Snap and Gobstones later, Dad rose from his place on the sofa and bid them all goodnight.

"Don't forget we have to leave by seven," he reminded them.

"I'll have breakfast for you at six-thirty, so don't stay up too late," Mum said as she joined his father at the door. If she was leaving that easily, Remus was certain that she and Dad had continued discussing his relationship with Lindi after he had gone up to bed last night.

"I think I better call it a night, too," said Lily, yawning. "I don't want to be tired and cranky before I even _see_ Vernon."

The yawn was contagious because Lindi caught it next. "I better go, too. I'm not used to these late nights."

As the girls said their goodnights, Remus couldn't believe the visit had already come and gone. He dreaded dropping Lindi off at the Knight Bus with Lily and Peter the next morning. He wanted to ask her to stay up with him again. They never had gotten around to looking at his favorite books in his room, but after what had happened last night, he figured Lindi wouldn't dare. He had to admit that he didn't want to run the risk of another _discussion_ with his mother, either. If she caught them in his room, _alone_, at this hour, Mum would probably go completely berserk, so he told Lindi goodnight and watched her follow Lily out into the hall. He hadn't even kissed her goodnight with everyone around them. _Crap!_ They wouldn't have any time together again until they were back at Hogwarts and it was going to seem like ages before school started again.

But the four friends remained in front of the fire, playing a round of poker. It had become one of their favorite games ever since Remus had taught them in their first year, having learned it from his Muggle grandmother. Of course, Grandmother had only ever let him wager sweets. The games when he had a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans had been the most exciting. The Marauders sometimes resorted to wagering sweets, as they were doing at the moment, but typically they liked to make it more interesting. Remus was glad they were sticking to the sweets because his mind really wasn't in the game. Knowing Lindi was right down the hall was a huge distraction. He could hear the girls' muffled voices.

He was also distracted by the matter of his Christmas present for Lindi. He was torn between wanting to give it to her in person, and wanting her to have something to open Christmas morning. _She'll have other presents_, he told himself. _Rosmerta and Will will have something for her._ With that, he had talked himself into giving her his gift in person. That meant he would need to do it tonight, if he didn't want to be terribly rushed or have an audience. He just had to figure out how he was going to get her alone. Getting rid of his friends was the easy part. He could just tell them to make themselves scarce, but how was he going to get Lindi without his mum hearing him? He couldn't knock on the door, since the girls' room was right across the hall from Mum and Dad's, and he certainly couldn't just walk in. What if they were undressed?

"Why do you need to sneak around to give her a present?" asked Sirius, back in Remus' room. "What are you giving her, sexy knickers?"

Remus didn't even want to dignify that with a response but Peter looked so excited by the prospect, Remus felt he should set things straight. "Of course not! It's a snow globe."

Peter looked highly disappointed.

But Remus realized they were right; he didn't need to sneak around for this. He retrieved the wrapped package from beneath his bed and walked downstairs to Mum and Dad's room.

He informed them of his plans, complete with what the gift was, so Mum didn't worry that he was giving Lindi sexy knickers or anything else too _significant_. (Knowing how Mum worried, she might think he was fool enough to give Lindi a ring or something.) He promised not to be up too late, then walked to Lindi and Lily's room and tapped on the door.

After a minute, Lindi appeared in her bathrobe. "Remus, what are you doing?" she asked softly.

"I have something for you," he said rather abruptly. He was suddenly a little nervous, but found the delighted look on Lily's face encouraging.

"Oh—alright," Lindi said. She stood waiting.

"Will you come with me?" he asked.

"What about your Mum?"

"It's alright," he smiled. "I told her we were going to talk."

So Lindi followed him down the hallway and joined him once again on the sofa. "What is it?" she asked, looking eagerly at the wrapped package.

"It's just something I made for you, so don't expect too much." He held the package out to her. "But I hope you'll like it."

She carefully removed the ribbon, tore the paper away, and opened the box. She lifted the globe and inspected it, blinking at the rather tacky plastic bird sitting on what was meant to be a mountain peak.

"Actually, I didn't _make_ it," Remus clarified. "I just did some Charm work and Transfiguration on it. I got it in a Muggle souvenir shop. The song was playing in a Muggle pub Dad and I lunched in, when we were in Ireland last summer. It made me think of you, so I charmed it into the music box with a little help from Lily."

She looked up and smiled. "You thought of me last summer?"

_Oops_, he hadn't meant to admit that, but she looked quite pleased. He nodded awkwardly.

"You need to tap it with your wand and say, _Activo_," he said quickly.

She set the snow globe onto the coffee table. "I left my wand in the room," she said, feeling in her bathrobe pockets. Remus pulled his own wand, eager to change the cheap plastic scene.

As soon as he tapped the base, music began and the plastic bird transformed into a very lifelike miniature eagle. Lindi drew a sharp breath and leaned closer, the amazement evident on her face. The eagle spread its wings and lifted off its perch, taking flight amid the swirling glitter snow.

_Ohhhh, I am the eagle; I live in high country,_

_in rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky_.

The grey feathers turned brown and the eagle transfigured into the image of a hawk before her eyes. She smiled at the sight.

_I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers,_

_But time is still turning; they soon will be dry._

Lindi's mouth fell open slightly as the hawk transfigured into a beautiful young woman on a broom.

_And all those who see me, and all who believe in me_

_Share in the freedom I feel when I fly._

Remus loved that part; it was so true of his feelings for her. He loved watching her fly. The tiny but unmistakable image of Lindi soared, dark hair streaming behind her. He was terribly proud of how his Transfigurations had turned out. It had taken many days to duplicate the image from his memory. He had borrowed Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve many times, just to get it right. He was sure the Headmaster would expect them all to do very well in their next Occlumency lesson, since he had used that as an excuse for borrowing the Pensieve. It was worth it, though, when he saw the awed look on Lindi's face.

_Come dance with the west wind _

_And touch on the mountain tops._

_Sail o'er the canyons and up to the stars._

And then came Remus' favorite part.

_And reach for the heavens and hope for the future_

_And all that we can be,_

_not what we are._

As the music faded, the little Lindi transformed back into the eagle and perched itself on the mountain peak once more, turning back into the simple plastic bird.

Lindi sat staring at it, her eyes misty. Did that mean she liked it? He suddenly felt very exposed. Not only did she know he had watched her flying, but that he'd had feelings for her since summer, though that shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"I hope you like it," he said.

She made a sort of strangled noise and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. He took that as a yes and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's beautiful," she said, finally looking up at him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but obviously changed her mind. Instead, she grabbed the front of his robes, pulling him towards her. Oh, he was _really_ glad he had decided to give her the gift in person.

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Remus didn't want the morning to come, but his father's quiet voice broke the stillness of the room, as he gently shook Remus awake.

"You and Peter need to get around," Dad said, careful not to wake James and Sirius.

A sliver of dim, grey light broke through the crack in the curtains, offering little brightness to the room as Remus and Peter silently roused themselves. James nearly woke himself with a snort, but rolled over and continued sleeping. Sirius was typically sprawled across his bed, mouth hanging slightly open, virtually dead to the world.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was much more somber than the past couple of days. Everyone was tired and the sky outside was heavily overcast. The letdown that comes after a big event is over filled Remus with gloom to match the steely grey clouds. That and knowing it would be almost two weeks before he would see Lindi again….

There was little conversation as they ate, said their thank yous and goodbyes to his mother and loaded their things into the wagon. For this ride, Remus would sit in the back, snuggled under a blanket with Lindi. He was certain Dad would understand.

"I can't believe it's already over," Lindi sighed, echoing his thoughts as she turned back from watching the house disappear round the bend. "I really liked being at your house, Remus."

"I'm glad," he said. "You'll have to come back."

She smiled warmly and he felt her hand slipping into his under the blanket as she snuggled a little closer. Remus was proud of himself for not going red in the face when he noticed the knowing look pass between Lily and Peter sitting across from them. Of course, it could have been the frigid air masking the warmth coming off his cheeks, but he didn't care. He and Lindi sat hand-in-hand, as they watched the hills roll by.

Remus felt so comfortable that he nearly nodded off. Lily's voice broke the monotony of the horses' hooves clopping on the dirt road.

"So, what do you have planned for the rest of your hols, Lindi?"

"Not much, really," Lindi said. "Will's taking me shopping today, before we take the Floo back to the pub. Hopefully, I'll have time to go by Madam Malkin's and get my robes repaired." She let out an irritated sigh. "Then, I'll just be working for Rosmerta most days."

"Are you dreading it?" Lily asked, apparently remembering Lindi's experiences over the summer.

"No, not really," Lindi smiled. "It should be fairly quiet. The time leading up to Christmas is much more hectic than the days after. Well, until New Years anyway. I rather dread that, but I have to pay Madam Malkin somehow. What about you?"

"I imagine I'll spend a lot of time hiding in my room, avoiding Petunia and _Vernon," _said Lily dismally._ "_But I _am_ going to a party for New Years," she added brightly.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. Where are you going?" asked Lindi.

"Hallam invited me to his house. We _were _going to go to the Leaky Cauldron's big bash, but Hal's mum won't let him go, what with all the trouble that's been going round. So, he's having a few people over from Hogwarts. It should be fun."

"Hal—he's the one you went to the ball with, right?" Lindi asked.

"Yes, do you know him?" Lily answered.

"Not really, of course, I've seen him round; he's seventh year, isn't he?"

Lily nodded.

"Are you dating, or is it just friends?" Lindi asked, surprising Remus with her directness. Of course, she sometimes did that. He remembered the time she so bluntly asked him about being with Darlene in the broom cupboard. Lindi must have realized she was putting Lily on the spot as she looked around the carriage. "I'm sorry, Lily; that's none of my business," she said chagrined.

"Well," Lily looked slightly uncomfortable, "it's not a big secret or anything. The ball was our only real _date_, but—I guess you could say we're _sort of_ dating. Of course it's nothing exclusive or anything, but the party _is_ another date."

Peter glanced at Remus. The look silently conveyed that they were both thinking the same thing; Lily and James had actually gotten on very well the last couple of days. They hadn't truly argued once, just a bit of playful bickering. James would not be happy to hear Lily was seeing Hal again.

"Hmm…" Lindi murmured, looking thoughtfully out across the hills.

"Hmm, _what_?" asked Lily, her curiosity aroused.

"Nothing—I just thought…" Lindi shifted her eyes around the carriage again and shrugged. "Nothing."

"You can't just do that, Lindi," Lily smirked. "_What_?"

"Well, I just thought maybe you and James—" Lindi lifted her brows and made a sort of jerking motion with her head as if that would explain things.

"Me and James _what_?" Lily's eye brows came together in something of an apprehensive frown.

Lindi gave her a shrewd look. "Well, you and James got on so well at Remus'… I don't know; I thought maybe the two of you might—_go out_."

Lily made a repulsed sort of grunting noise. "You can't be serious."

"Yes, actually," Lindi said sincerely. "We could double date." She looked at Remus for support. "It'd be fun, wouldn't it?"

Remus grinned, feeling a little guilty that he was helping to ambush Lily. He didn't feel _terribly_ guilty about it, though, considering he'd had to endure Lily's own efforts at matchmaking. "Yes, it probably would be."

"Me and _James_?" Lily made the repulsed sound again. "James _Potter_?"

A line from a Muggle play he had read at his grandmother's popped into Remus' head. _The lady doth protest too much, methinks._

"What other James do you know?" said Lindi, now smirking, too. "Come on; I know he fancies you. It was obvious by the way he got so annoyed when you were beating him at Gobstones? He wants to impress you and you messed it up."

Lily's cheeks flushed. "Potter just doesn't like to lose, just like you said last night."

"That wasn't it, was it?" Lindi looked to Remus and Peter for corroboration.

"Well, actually, Lindi, James really doesn't like to lose," said Peter unhelpfully.

"Speaking of losing," Lily said brightly. "Have you thought of what you want to make him do, if you beat him in the race?"

"You're changing the subject, Lily," Lindi smirked again.

Lily sighed. "There is no subject, Lindi. Look, just because we didn't want to hex each other into tomorrow doesn't mean we should start dating. I'm sure if the visit had lasted long enough, we'd have wanted to. We're just—too different," Lily insisted. "Of course, you don't have to tell _him_ about all this." She looked pointedly at Remus and then Peter.

The two boys traded another look. Remus was quite sure that there was no danger of either of them passing that bit of information on to James. James had been known to hex the messenger of news he didn't like. Peter, having found this out the hard way, definitely wouldn't want to risk that. Remus didn't want to be the one to tell James about Hal, either, to be honest. Plus, Remus saw no point in passing along the information about Lily thinking she and James were too different, since he really did think Lily might be protesting a bit too much. She and James had come a very long way since that argument over Severus that day last spring. Regardless of what Lily said, Remus still didn't think they were too different at all.

"So, _have_ you decided what you'll have him do?" Lily asked again, closing the argument.

Lindi sighed. "No, I thought you were going to help me," she said, obviously conceding defeat in her attempt to play matchmaker for Lily and James. "Not that it will matter."

"Why do you say that?" asked Peter.

"Because _I'm _not going to beat James Potter," Lindi said already conceding defeat in this matter, too.

"But you said you could," Lily said, looking mystified.

"I said that because he was being such a conceited prat!" said Lindi.

"_Lindi, _you didn't!—And you want _me_ to go out with him," said Lily smirking playfully.

"I didn't say he was perfect," Lindi said. She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I've done this. Merlin knows what horrid thing he'll make me do." She pulled her hand free from Remus', threw both of them over her face and groaned. "How could you have let me do this?" she asked miserably, parting her fingers and peeking out at him.

He had to laugh. "Because I think you _can _beat him," he said sincerely.

"Oh, Remus, you're just trying to make me feel better. James is the best Quidditch player at Hogwarts."

"But he didn't challenge you to _Quidditch_. He challenged you to a broomstick race, and you fly as well as anyone I know. Why do you think that song reminded me of you?"

Remus thought for one shining moment that she was going to kiss him on the spot, but Peter chose that very second to sniffle loudly. Remus knew Peter hadn't done it on purpose; the cold air was getting to _him _as well. He had also figured out that Lindi didn't feel comfortable with showing much affection in public. He had to admit, he preferred privacy, too. He just wished he could have it at these opportune times.

But rather than kissing him, Lindi beamed gratefully. She slipped her hands back under the blanket and squeezed his hand again.

"Do you really think I can?"

"Yes, I really do, not that it will be easy. James is bigger and stronger, but a lot will depend on the obstacles. You're smaller and lighter. It'll be a really exciting race."

"It _should_ be exciting, the way you both fly like you're trying to win the 'Dangerous' Dai Commemorative Medal," said Peter. "I want to know what you'll make him do if you win."

Lindi looked at Lily eagerly. as did Remus and Peter.

"You have to promise you won't tell," Lily said. Everyone agreed and she grinned triumphantly. "Make him go bald, of course—_all day_! And no hats or anything to hide it! And he can't stay hidden in the dormitory or the tower, either!"

"That's perfect!" cried Lindi. "Lily, you are brilliant!"

"And positively wicked," added Remus admiringly.

"Don't you dare tell James I said so, but I hope _you_ win, Lindi," Peter snickered.

The happy thoughts of James walking through the halls with no hair on his head to tousle came to an abrupt halt when the wagon stopped swaying. Just as abruptly, the Knight Bus appeared with a loud bang, giving them no time for awkward, drawn-out goodbyes. Instead, they had an awkward, _rushed_ goodbye. Lily and Peter hurried up the metal stairs while Remus and Lindi lingered outside the bus door, both obviously convinced that everyone on board was watching them. Fortunately, Dad was tending to the horses that had been badly spooked by the loud arrival of the Knight Bus.

"Oi! All aboard; I'm not gettin' any younger. Christmas is gonna get to London b'fore we do!" griped the craggy-faced wizard in the faded purple conductor's uniform.

"Merry Christmas, Remus," Lindi said, shooting up and giving him a very decorous peck on the lips. She did it so swiftly that he was only sure it had actually happened because of the sticky residue left on his mouth from her lip balm. "Send me an owl, if you get the chance," she said as she rushed up the steps and the door started to close between them.

"I will," he called out as the door slid into place.

In a blink of his eyes, the bus vanished, leaving only a flurry of snow flung up in its wake. Remus hoped Lindi had been able to get into a seat before it took off, though he figured she was probably picking herself up off the floor. He wished he was there to help her.

Remus climbed up onto the driver's bench with his father.

"Well, that was a nice visit," said Dad, clicking his tongue and flicking the reins to spur the horses forward.

"Yes," agreed Remus. "It was just over too fast."

"For you, maybe," Dad grinned. "And me, but I don't think it came to an end any too soon for your mother. Much longer and I'd have started checking the bottle of Ogden's she has stashed in the cellar for baking."

Remus hung his head and laughed. "Why? She likes Lindi, doesn't she?"

"As a person?" Dad said. "I think she likes her very much. As the girl who has stolen her son's heart, not quite as much." He chuckled at the bashful look on Remus' face. "But don't worry about it, Remus. That's fairly normal in my experience. When I started dating your mum, my mother didn't like her very much either."

"Really?" Remus found this surprising, since his mother and grandmother had always got on quite well, that he could remember.

"Really," affirmed Dad. "It's quite common, I think. Why do you think there are so many mother-in-law jokes?"

"Well, it's not like I'm about to run off and elope or something. I really wish she wouldn't worry about me somuch," said Remus.

A sad smile crossed his father's face as he looked out over the winding country road ahead. "She can't help herself, Remus. She—she's had to watch you suffer so much. She just wants to protect you from anything she can." He looked back at Remus and smiled wisely. "Even if it's something you really don't _want _to be protected from."

Remus hesitated for a moment, debating whether to get into more detail. There were things he would like to get his father's opinion on, but he really needed to think about them first. Perhaps it would be best to wait until they had some more time and he was less exhausted before getting into those things. He should steer the conversation to lighter areas. The fact that Mum had caught them snogging was a bit lighter topic, even if it was frightfully embarrassing. Remus hadn't even told his friends about it, _yet,_ but he could talk to his father about most anything, and since Dad already knew…

"I couldn't believe she walked in on us…" Remus blushed.

Dad looked very amused. "She slipped out while I was in the bathroom, brushing my teeth, or I would have _tried_ to stop her. I gathered it was a bit awkward."

"Just a bit," Remus blushed. "But from her reaction, you would have thought she'd caught us rolling round on the floor half naked."

"Don't kid yourself," laughed Dad. "If she'd caught you doing that, the house would have exploded."

After they'd pulled into the barn, unhitched and tended to the horses, they made their way back to the house. The weather was taking a turn for the worse. An icy mix of rain and snow had started to fall, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that James and Sirius were not only out of bed, but out of the house as well.

Mum informed him that the two had decided to go for a walk. She, of course, found this strange, but Remus knew they were actually out gallivanting in the woods. He hoped they wouldn't be too long; he could definitely use their company. Sitting alone at the desk in his room, his thoughts wandered to the more serious topics that had crossed his mind during the ride with Dad, darkening his mood. The house was suddenly so very quiet. Under normal circumstances, he'd expect his friends back quickly. Not many people would enjoy a _walk_ in the bitter wind and wet snow. Of course, James and Sirius were not normal.

Remus looked to the edge of the forest, hoping for a glimpse of Padfoot or Prongs but there was no sign of them. As animals, they would be much more tolerant of the miserable weather and there was no way of knowing when they might turn up. He figured he might as well find something to occupy himself until then.

He reached over, grabbed the book lying near the edge of the desk and slid it in front of him. Something had compelled him to bring it up from the living room when he'd returned home with his dad. It had been nagging at him off and on since Lindi had pulled it from the shelf the night before lastLooking at the cover, he wondered how such an accurate and well written book could have such a _stupid_ title, _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. Of course, Remus was well aware of the need to have a sense of humor about lycanthropy.

He propped his elbows on the desk and stared down at the book.

_Do you really want her to know what's in there?_

He rested his face in his hands, thinking. _She has to know—eventually_.

_But does it have to be now? And are you going to tell her _why_ she needs to know or are you going to wait and see if she puts two and two together?_

He lifted his head out of his hands and leaned back against the chair, letting out a long sigh of frustration. Why couldn't he be like other people and just enjoy the wonder and thrill of a new romance?

_Because you aren't like other people._

_And this isn't just an ordinary new romance_.

_Of course, that's what everyone always thinks when they first start seeing someone they like, _Remus argued with himself.

But it wouldn't work. His feelings for Lindi were strong. There was no use trying to convince himself that the relationship meant less to him than it did. He might have told Mum that he and Lindi were _just dating_, but he knew better. The romantic part might be new, but his feelings for her were not. He had dated a few girls longer than he'd _dated_ Lindi, without ever feeling the necessity to share his secret with them. Those times, however, he really had been _just _dating them.

He looked back at the book. _How long do you think you can put off telling her? _

The conversation with his father from last summer flashed through his memory. _"You don't want to be making love to a girl who doesn't know the whole truth about you, Remus. It just wouldn't be fair."_

Yet, when he thought about some of his conversations with Lindi and the circumstances in her past, Remus realized it could be quite a long time before he would need to worry about getting to _that _point in their relationship. He smiled to himself, thinking that most of the lads he knew wouldn't consider that a particularly hopeful thought. In his circumstances, it might actually prove to be a relief. After all, it would give him more time.

Still, something else his dad had said niggled at his conscience_. "You just have to play it by ear and do your best to protect yourself, while trying not to hurt the girl; same as anybody else, only with greater consequences." _

_While trying not to hurt the girl…_ Truth be told, he knew it was probably already too late for that. Lindi might not be quite as emotionally involved as he was, but he could tell by the way she looked at him, not to mention the things she had admitted to him during their talk in the Dueling Hall, that she was already invested in their relationship enough to be deeply hurt by something this important.

_What have you done, Remus_? He reached up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. _She should know, before this goes any further._

Sighing resolutely, he opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a roll of Spellotape. He retrieved the roll of Christmas paper he'd used to wrap the snow globe. Taking out his wand, he started to perform a severing charm to cut a piece to fit the book, but he was distracted by the laughter of his friends climbing up the stairs.

"What are you doing up here?" asked James, coming through the door. "Your Dad's getting ready to remove the Crups' tails."

"He said he was going to do it after lunch," said Remus. "Tell him I'll just be a minute."

He turned back to finish the task he'd started. A shadow crossed the desk as Sirius leaned over him. Sirius reached around and took the book, reading the cover.

"Is this what you're wrapping?"

"Yes."

"Who's it for?"

"Lindi," Remus said, re-rolling the unused paper.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sirius asked slowly, in a low voice. "Wait—don't answer that. Are you _completely_ out of your mind?"

Remus turned and looked into Sirius' grim face. He could tell another argument was about to come on. _Crap_! Hadn't he already had enough anxiety for today?

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**_A/N: The song, The Eagle and the Hawk: words and music by John Denver and Mike Taylor. Recorded by John Denver. _**


	42. Out of His Mind

**Chapter 42 Out of His Mind**

_**A/N: I would like to thank MaraudersWolf for another excellent beta job. Also, I took all of the thoughtful reviews/opinions on what Remus should do into consideration. I really love hearing your thoughts, so let me take the opportunity to thank all of you who review. It truly is helpful and (usually) a lot of fun for me and I greatly appreciate it. Of course, in the end, I did exactly what I had always planned to do. LOL Now, am I going to shut up and tell you what that is? Maybe… ;) So, shall we see what's on Sirius' mind?**_

_**A/N2: I have searched my books and the Lexicon for more detailed information on the time when Sirius tricked Snape into following Moony into the Shrieking Shack. I can find nothing in the books. Remus never mentions the actual time frame when he's telling the story at the Shack in PoA. The Lexicon lists it as sometime in 6th year, exact date unknown, on their Bio page for Remus. They do list it as September of the Marauders' 6th year in their detailed Time Line. I feel pretty confident that they only mean to imply that it occurred sometime in 6th year, as it was unlikely the Marauders would have tormented Snape so publicly that afternoon of their O.W.L.s if he had already known. O.W.L.s occurred at the end of 5th year. I have always believed that it occurred sometime between the O.W.L. incident and James becoming head boy in 7th year, which leaves anytime during 6th year. For some reason, I have always thought of it as having been in the spring of that year, and so, that is when it will occur in MoB. So, it is coming up. Well, that is my reasoning, anyway. If anyone knows more specifically when it happened, please let me know where I can find the information. Thank you, and now let's see what is on Sirius' mind. ;) **_

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Remus smiled placidly. He really didn't want to get into another dispute with Sirius that might have to do with Lindi, but Sirius clearly thought that Remus _had_ lost his mind over something. "Why do I get the distinct impression that you mean that as a rhetorical question?" he asked mildly.

A little snicker came from James as he flopped down lazily onto his bed.

"Do you see what he's doing?" Sirius asked James sharply. "Take a look; you might not think it's so funny." He held the book up so that James could read the cover.

The amused smile on James' face twisted into a pensive frown. He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, leaned forward and gazed at Remus intently.

"Did you tell her?" James asked. From the intensity of concern in James' eyes, Remus felt sure that he was hoping to hear the very answer Remus gave him.

"No—"

Sirius sighed heavily with obvious relief. "Maybe you haven't _completely_ lost your mind, then."

Remus tempered his response, trying to hide his rapidly growing irritation at Sirius' rather insulting attitude. "I was about to say that I haven't told her _yet_," he said calmly. "I want her to read that first, so she fully understands everything when I do."

"I take it back. You are completely mental," said Sirius. He tossed the book back onto the desk and stalked over to his bed, but he didn't lie down. He just stood there with his back to Remus, hands resting aggressively on his hips.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Remus knew Sirius wasn't joking about him being _mental_. The question was _why _did Sirius think it was such an awful idea? Remus dearly hoped it was simply a matter of telling _anyone_ the secret that they alone had shared for so long. Sirius' head turned and a look passed between him and James.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to tell her?" James asked rather delicately.

"I don't really see that I have any alternative in the matter," said Remus.

"Of course you do. There's always an alternative," Sirius said, turning back around to face Remus.

"Well, I don't intend to stop seeing her, so that isn't an option," said Remus. "So I have to tell her."

"Why?" asked Sirius.

Remus stared at him, incredulous. He would have thought the answer to that was obvious.

Sirius stared back, grey eyes piercing. If Remus hadn't already known what it felt like to have his mind probed, that gaze would have convinced him that Sirius was trying to practice Legilimency on him.

"Because you think you're _in love_ with her?" Sirius asked, making it sound as though he thought _that_ reason would be trite.

Remus did not appreciate having his feelings belittled. He felt the muscles in his jaw tense as he debated his response. For once in his life, he should tell Sirius to shut his gob and mind his own business! He knew he should, but that would be rather awkward, what with Sirius and James staying at his house. He really didn't want to ruin the rest of their stay. But he couldn't abide having anyone make light of his relationship with Lindi, either. This was important.

"_Do_ you think you're in love with her?" James asked. From the look on his face, Remus felt that James was, in no way, mocking him. James looked as though he found the prospect very real and quite serious. It was almost enough to frighten Remus. Perhaps they _were_ growing up.

Remus swallowed nervously. "I'm not sure," he answered. "I—I only know that I care about her enough that I don't want to do anything to hurt her, so she has a right to know."

"Why?" Sirius asked again. "You aren't shagging her, are you?"

Remus' jaw tightened almost painfully and he stood up. Sirius had finally crossed the line.

"_That_ is none of your business," he said through clenched teeth, his voice hard as steel. He would not tolerate anyone, even his friends, talking about her that way. He braced himself for a fight, but it never came. Sirius' mouth was curling into a very slight smile and he held up his hands in a sign of appeasement.

"You're right," Sirius said. "It isn't. I didn't expect an answer. _That_ was a rhetorical question." He lowered his hands. Remus wondered how that could possibly be considered a rhetorical question. Sirius must have noticed the skeptical look on Remus' face because he continued. "The point I'm trying to make is there are only two reasons I can think of that would absolutely oblige you to tell her. One would be if you were going to ask her to marry you and I'm fairly certain that you haven't gone quite _that_ far round the bend. You haven't, have you?" Sirius smirked.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Of course not!"

James snickered, further helping to ease the tension in the room.

"Well, the other would be if you were shagging her or expecting to in the very _near _future," Sirius said quite matter-of-factly. "So, unless you are, it would be a huge mistake for you to tell her."

For an instant, Remus wondered if Sirius had been talking to Dad. A huge part of him wanted to accept what Sirius was saying and he could easily choose to. After all, it was basically the same thing Dad had said. Plus, the truth was that Remus really didn't _want_ to tell her. The possibility of seeing rejection in those eyes that had looked at him with such desire this morning was excruciating. He had been happier these past few days than he would have ever dreamed possible. He really didn't want to risk scaring her away when they had only just started dating.

If only he could convince himself that it wasn't horribly wrong to keep this enormous secret from her, for a while longer…

He stared back into Sirius' resolute face. "You don't think I owe it to—"

"No, I don't!" Sirius interrupted. "I think you owe it to _yourself _not to do something really stupid, out of some ill-conceived sense of obligation."

"Why do you think me telling her is such a stupid thing?"

"Why is spreading round the fact that you're a werewolf stupid?" Sirius asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Surely you know the answer to that better than anyone."

"I wouldn't be spreading it around," Remus said indignantly, taking offense at the insinuation that he was being careless and foolish. After all, Sirius was absolutely correct. _No one_ knew better than Remus that he couldn't let that information get out. "I would only be telling Lindi."

The cynical look that shaded Sirius' eyes caused Remus' hackles to rise. So, this _was_ about Lindi.

"Look, Remus," Sirius said. The fact that Sirius was using his real name only made Remus more wary of what was coming. "I know you aren't going to like what I have to say, but hear me out, because I feel an obligation to tell _you_ the truth. I really don't think it's safe for you to tell her. I don't trust her to keep this secret."

Sirius had never been more right. Remus did _not_ like hearing that.

"What do you have against Lindi? Why are you always so quick to think the worst of her?" Remus asked, a bit heatedly. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to control his temper. He took a steadying breath.

Sirius' face was an expressionless mask. "I don't have anything against Lindi. Believe it or not, I like her. I find her very—_amusing_, but I don't think she's perfect, Remus, and I—"

"I know she isn't perfect," Remus interrupted.

"That's good to hear," Sirius said, his mouth twitching as if he were going to smile again, "because sometimes, I have to wonder."

"Well I don't, but I also don't think she'd betray my trust, even if—" He was about to say even if she wouldn't accept him, but he didn't want to get into that with anyone. He didn't want to even consider it right now. Besides, he saw a look pass between Sirius and James that indicated their doubt.

"You think she _would_ tell?" Remus asked, forcing himself to remain objective.

"We don't think she'd tell on purpose," James interjected into the conversation.

"_We_? So, you've been discussing this behind my back?" Remus asked steadily, though he was getting more irritated by the second.

"We weren't doing anything _behind your back_," said James. "It came up last night, while you were downstairs with her. We figured you'd be thinking about telling her soon."

"And you agree that I'm stupid for thinking I should tell her?"

"I didn't say _you_ were stupid," Sirius corrected him. "I said you'd be _doing_ something stupid, if you tell her."

"And you agree with that?" Remus asked James. "Not that this is going to be decided by a democratic consensus."

A brief smile crossed James' face before he nodded gravely. "Yeah, I think it would be a mistake to tell her—for now."

"But you just admitted you didn't think she would tell," said Remus.

"On _purpose_," James clarified. "We aren't suggesting that she'd do something to _try_ to hurt you, Remus."

"What exactly _are_ you suggesting?" Remus asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Come on, Remus; do you really trust her with that secret?" Sirius said brusquely. He raised his hand to stop Remus responding. "You know how she is. We've talked about it before. She might not volunteer the information, but it wouldn't take much for someone to get it out of her, if they had a mind to. All anyone would have to do is put a little pressure on her or threaten her with something and she'd crumble faster than dried lacewings. Look at how she folded under the pressure just having your mum _looking_ at her funny, over nothing more than love bites. She couldn't spit it out fast enough."

Remus hated to admit it, but Sirius had a point. Still… "But that's just it. It was just some silly misunderstanding. I don't think she'd be so easily pressured over something this important," he said.

"But do you really want to take the risk to find out?" James asked evenly.

"Why would anyone pressure her about it in the first place?" Remus argued, but he knew the answer as soon as the question crossed his lips.

"You honestly think Snivellus won't try to use her to figure out what's going on? They are _friends_," Sirius sneered. "Even if she tried not to tell him—which I think she _would_—you know what a pathetic liar she is. He'd know in an instant she was lying and I wouldn't put it past him to practice his Legilimency on her. According to Michaelson, he's quite good at it and Snivelly wouldn't have any qualms about how _unethical_ it is. You know how it drives him crazy wondering where you go and what we're up to. I think he'd do just about _anything_ to figure it out."

"No offense, Moony, but as oblivious as she can be about some things, he'd probably know everything, before Lindi even realized what he was doing," James said somberly.

"And then you're buggered, mate," Sirius added, quite matter-of-factly.

The thought of the triumphant look on Severus' face as he announced that Remus was a werewolf to the packed Great Hall sent ice water flowing in Remus' veins. He had been so wrapped up in his worry that Lindi would reject him because of his lycanthropy that he clearly hadn't thought things through. Since he had convinced himself that she would never intentionally use the information to hurt him, he obviously hadn't given enough thought to what else could happen if she knew. That had been very foolish and unlike him. His dilemma had just become exponentially more complicated.

Now what was he going to do? He had convinced himself that telling her was the right thing to do, but….

His father's voice drifted up the stairwell.

"I'm on my way to the barn."

_Dad…_That was it; maybe he should talk to his father. _It certainly couldn't hurt_. So he left the unwrapped book on the desk, for now, and went to help his father remove the Crups' tails.

Remus was thankful for the distraction. It gave him time to get his thoughts together before discussing anything with his father. But more importantly, it provided James and Sirius with something to do other than continue the difficult conversation. Their work went quickly, once Dad had showed them how to do the Severing Charm. Then, when they were finished, the pups wanted to play and showed a special fondness for Sirius. It made Remus wonder briefly if it was a sign that they knew a fellow _dog_ when they met one.

"I think you've got yourself a girlfriend, Padfoot," James teased. He and Remus watched as a feisty little pup slipped out the pen gate, nipping at Sirius' heels when he tried to leave.

Sirius bent down and scooped her up. "Sorry, luv, but I'm not allowed to have girlfriends live in my room," he said, scratching behind her ears. "If I was, though, you'd be it." He leaned over the pen and gently set the whining pup down on the hay-covered ground.

They started to head back up to the house, while Dad went to check the Hippogriff's wing.

"You go on. I'm going to help Dad," Remus told them.

Remus watched as his father checked the Hippogriff's injuries and gave it fresh food and water. It was best to give a Hippogriff undivided attention from just one person; otherwise, they might be insulted and that could be dangerous.

Once that was taken care of, they returned to the barn so that Dad could wash his hands in the large farm sink. Remus quietly watched again.

"You look like a man with something on his mind," Dad finally said, drying his hands with air from his wand.

Remus smiled bashfully. His father could read him better than anyone. "I am," Remus said. "I could use some advice."

"Alright." Dad slipped his wand back into his pocket and sat down on a bale of hay and waited.

Remus took a deep breath and then started to explain that he felt he should tell Lindi about his illness. "I know we've only been dating a week, but—" He found it difficult and a little embarrassing to admit his feelings, especially since he wasn't quite sure exactly what they were, himself, and it _had_ only been a week. "Well, we've been friends a lot longer than that."

"That definitely makes a difference," Dad said.

"Does that mean you think I should tell her?"

"_That_ I don't know, Remus," Dad said cautiously. "I could tell the two of you are already close. I have an idea of how you feel about her and she's obviously very fond of you, too." Remus looked at the straw-covered floor as he waited for the '_but'_ he felt coming. "But only the two of you know how serious your relationship is."

Dad didn't say anything else. Obviously, he wasn't going to ask Remus to tell him how serious they were.

"I used to think I should tell her if things ever _got_ serious, but now—now I think she should know before that," Remus said, still staring at the straw. "But Sirius and James think telling her is a bad idea."

"I think you should listen to Sirius and James on this." Remus and his father both looked over to the small chicken coop. Mum was standing in the shadow, a basket in her hands. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Remus. I thought I'd make a trifle for Christmas dinner and I needed some eggs." She lifted the basket as proof. "I couldn't help but overhear."

Remus nodded, trying not to appear annoyed. He didn't necessarily feel she was _trying_ to invade his privacy, but she _could_ have helped overhearing by letting them know she was there in the first place. Still, it wasn't as though this was some sort of huge secret from his mother. Remus valued her opinions, too. It was just easier to discuss this sort of thing with Dad. Now, however, he was a little confused.

"I got the impression you thought I _should_ tell her," he said.

"Me?" Mum looked surprised. "No, Remus, I don't."

"But you said that you thought it was unwise for me to get involved with her when she didn't know."

"Yes, I do think that," Mum said evenly.

It was then that Remus realized what his mother really meant. It was the _being involved_ part that she thought was unwise, more so than the fact that Lindi didn't know. Mum didn't think he should tell her because Mum didn't think he should be involved with her.

"I'm already involved with her, Mum," he said softly.

"Yes, I know," she said rather sadly.

"And I hope to keep it that way, as long as I can," Remus added.

"Ohh, Remus," Mum sighed. She set her basket of eggs down on a barrel and walked over to him. She reached up and tenderly brushed a bit of his fringe off of his forehead as he stared at her, waiting for her to continue. He knew she had more on her mind. "I know you do," she said sympathetically, "and I understand that. I really do." She lowered her hand and took a bracing breath.

_Here comes the 'but',_ Remus thought.

"But there's no reason for you to be rash," She said, the tenderness replaced with steely resolve. "You're only sixteen; you've got a year and a half left at school. You're just kids."

"We're not children, Mum," Remus said firmly.

"You practically are," she insisted. "Technically you are, for nearly three more months and Lindi—well she's _barely_ sixteen."

Remus didn't want to argue this with his mother. She still saw him as a child and probably always would. But he _wasn't_ a child and hadn't really been for a very long time.

"They _are _young, but they're not children, Rena," Dad said delicately. "And Remus isn't being rash, which is why he's seeking our advice."

"You're right," Mum said, trying to calm herself. "I'm sorry, Remus. I just don't want to see you throw your life away over some girl you've only just started seeing. You can't possibly know her well enough to take this sort of risk."

Remus took a steadying breath. "She's not just _some _girl, Mum, and I'm not throwing my life away—"

"You very well could be, if she exposes you!" Mum said tensely. "You need to finish school and get your N.E.W.T.s. Once you have them, they can't take them away, but if—" She stopped abruptly, as if she couldn't even consider the _if_. She took a deep breath. "Remus, Professor Dumbledore has given you a wonderful opportunity. It would be a poor way to repay him if you end up getting found out because of your own recklessness. He'd have some explaining to do. He's taken quite a risk by letting you go to Hogwarts, and so has Mr. Scamander by agreeing to keep your records sealed so you can finish. This isn't just about you risking your own future, Remus."

Remus swallowed painfully. Mum was right. How had he overlooked all these things? Was he so blinded by his feelings for Lindi that he could think of nothing else? This was so unlike him. Was Sirius right? Had his hormones truly driven him insane?

But what about Lindi? He didn't want to lose her. Wasn't it wrong for him to lie to her? _Dammit!_ Why couldn't he be healthy and _normal_?

"But what about Lindi?" he asked softly. "I care about her, Mum. I don't want to hurt her, and she'd never be able to forgive me if I lie to her about something like this."

"She would if she really cared about _you_," said his mother. "She's a smart girl; she'd understand why you did it. Talk to him, Richard." Mum looked at his father rather desperately. "Make him see reason."

She picked up the basket of eggs and briskly marched out of the barn, leaving the two of them in silence.

Remus stared back at the floor, thinking about his options. He wasn't very happy with any of them. He knew what he wanted to do and also what he _should_ do. Unfortunately, they weren't the same thing. What he didn't know was what he was _going_ to do.

"I'm so sorry, Remus," Dad finally said. He looked very weary, rather unlike himself. "You shouldn't have to make this sort of decision. This should be a wonderful time in your life."

"It isn't your fault, Dad," Remus said. His father usually kept the blame on Fenrir Greyback, where it belonged. Sometimes, though, Remus felt Dad could use a little assurance that Remus didn't blame him. "And it has been wonderful. That's why this is driving me crazy. I'm so afraid that no matter what I do, I'm going to ruin it."

"Do you think telling her will ruin it?" Dad asked.

"I honestly don't know," Remus said, shrugging weakly. He walked over and sat on a bale beside his father. "I hope it wouldn't, but even if it doesn't ruin it _completely_, it will probably change things."

Remus thought about the way Lindi looked at him. She was so clearly attracted to him. His greatest fear was having that look turn to revulsion once she found out. There was something else he was afraid of. What if she didn't reject him, but looked on him with pity rather than desire? That would be almost as bad or possibly, even worse. He didn't think he could stand that.

He reminded himself that James, Sirius, and Peter still looked at him with respect. They hadn't changed towards him when they'd found out. If anything, it had brought them all closer together. Of course, they had been twelve-year-old boys at the time. Those circumstances were quite different from a romantic relationship with a sixteen-year-old girl.

"I wish I could tell you it wouldn't, but I just don't know. It's such a significant thing," Dad said solemnly. "But I think your mother has a good point. The more important question, _at the moment_, is can you trust her to keep it secret?"

Remus closed his eyes to think. He hated that question, because he really hated his answer. He glanced over at his father.

"I trust her intentions completely," he said, unwilling to come right out and say what he really didn't want to admit.

Dad's eyes widened slightly. "I see." Remus looked away and stared at a flattened piece of straw on the ground, thinking about what James and Sirius had said. Finally, Dad broke the silence. "That sounds awfully ambiguous, Remus."

So Remus told his father about the conversation he'd had that morning with his two friends regarding their doubts and concerns. He told him about Lindi's miserable ability to lie, how she sometimes spoke without thinking, and about Severus Snape and his skill at Legilimency. As he always did, Dad listened attentively until Remus had finished.

Then, Dad sat deep in thought. Remus wondered what he was thinking, but having said everything aloud, Remus already knew what he had to do.

"I can't tell her, can I?" he said.

Dad turned and looked him in the eye. "Under the circumstances, I can't say that I'd recommend it," he said dolefully. "This Snape fellow—you've had trouble with him before, haven't you?"

"Yes," Remus said numbly. "He hates us. He has since first year. It's James he can't stand mostly. At least it started out that way, but there's plenty of loathing to go around."

"Enough that he'd actually use Lindi to try to hurt _you_?" Dad asked, obviously concerned. "Even though they are supposed to be friends?"

Remus considered some of the confrontations between Severus and the Marauders. He remembered the blazing hatred in Snape's dark eyes and some of the curses he had used. Snape really was up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts and every bit the Slytherin. There wasn't very much Remus would put past him.

"Yes. I think he would. I don't think there's much he wouldn't do to get us into trouble," Remus said soberly.

"I'm surprised that Lindi would be friends with someone like that," Dad said. "I wouldn't expect someone who gets upset over killing a tree to be very tolerant of someone that vindictive." His father smiled at the perplexed look on Remus' face. "I was talking with her while you and the boys were chopping down the Christmas tree. She didn't seem to be enjoying it, so I asked her if anything was wrong. She said no, but that she wished we didn't have to _kill _it." Dad smirked humorously.

Remus hung his head. He remembered the horror in her face at the thought of chopping the Mandrakes. "That sounds just like her," he said, the affection evident in his voice.

"It gets better," Dad grinned. "She told me her mum always made her feel better about killing them by assuring her that it was a tree's _greatest honor_ to be selected for a Christmas tree."

Remus shook his head, but couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad Sirius didn't hear that. He already thinks she's a nutter." Remus could just imagine how Sirius would react at the notion that a tree could feel honored.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Dad chuckled. "She just strikes me as very sentimental and _extremely_ soft-hearted. I find it rather endearing myself." He smiled perceptively. He would know that it was one of the things that Remus found _endearing_, too.

Besides that, her soft heart was what made Remus so sure he could trust her to at least _try_ to keep his secret. No matter what happened to their relationship, he was certain that she would never _intentionally_ try to hurt him.

"She is soft-hearted," Remus said warmly. "She's the gentlest person I think I've ever known."

_And I have to let her go,_ he thought wretchedly.

But he had no idea how he was going to bring himself to do it.

"How on earth do I break up with her, when the reason I have to do it is that I can't tell her why?" He would have laughed at the irony if his heart hadn't been breaking.

Dad stared at him with immense sympathy. An eternity seemed to pass while Remus swallowed back the painful lump that kept forming in his throat. Finally his father spoke. "Why do you have to?"

Remus blinked as a tiny flicker of hope ignited deep inside. That had not been what he had expected his father to say. Did his father actually think there was some way around this dilemma? Remus was reluctant to let the hope flare too brightly.

"Well," he said hesitantly. "If I can't tell her the truth and it isn't fair to lie to her…" Remus shrugged resignedly.

"You know, Remus, I really admire your sense of fairness," Dad said. "But I'm not completely convinced that it would be unfair for you to go on seeing her without telling her the truth right now."

Remus tried not to let his hopes get too high. He waited.

His father looked back at him, staring him in the eye earnestly. "I _am _certain that I don't think any of this is very fair to _you _to think that you have to." Dad smiled at the slightly befuddled look on his son's face. "You know, Remus, you have some _rights_ in all this, too. You have the right to try to find happiness just like anyone else."

Remus looked back to the floor, a bit embarrassed. He was reminded of what Peter had said a couple of months ago. "_There's nothing wrong with wanting the same things everyone else wants, Remus_."

Still, Remus didn't want to be selfish. "But not by lying to her," he said.

"Hmm…you know that saying, all's fair in love?" Dad asked. Remus gave him a skeptical look, and his father smirked. "No, I don't fully agree either, but let me ask you this. Who among us starts a relationship by pointing out our worst imperfections? You know, I bet the human race might very well have become extinct by now, if we all had to disclose our secrets before we were allowed to develop a solid foundation. At any rate, there would be a lot fewer marriages if we all lived by the standard you are forcing on yourself. The rest of us try our best to _hide_ our flaws from girls we like. Why shouldn't you?"

"But this isn't just some annoying flaw, Dad. It's a bit more serious than—_snoring_ or being incapable of remembering to lower the toilet seat."

Dad smiled at that. "Yes, it is." He paused, obviously composing his thoughts while Remus waited again for his father to come up with some sort of brilliant argument that would allow him to keep seeing Lindi. Finally, Dad breathed out loudly and began. "Lycanthropy is a very difficult thing. It's ugly and frightening and affects just about everything in your life, both by its direct affects on your body and by the fear and prejudice it invokes in the people around you. That also takes a toll on the people who care about you. It will take a strong person to face the challenges that come with having a relationship with a werewolf."

Remus felt his stomach falling. That wasn't the most encouraging thing his father had ever told him.

"To be completely honest with you, Remus, I'm not sure Lindi _is_ strong enough, at the moment."

Remus' stomach nearly fell through the floor.

"She's almost _too_ soft-hearted. I don't know if she's ready to handle everything that comes with it. It's a hard thing to watch someone you love suffer and not be able to do anything about it. And, after what you've just told me, I also worry about her inability to keep the secret—not only for what that would undoubtedly do to _you_," Dad said, looking at him for emphasis, "but what would it do to _her_? How would she feel if she were the one who caused you so much trouble?"

Remus was blindsided, yet again, by something else he hadn't really considered. Lindi had been terribly affected by the incident with Orlon, the boy she had once hexed for trying to kiss her. The damage she had done to him had greatly impacted her for years. It had kept her from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts, for one thing. Yet, the damage she'd caused in that case had been _temporary_, and mostly Orlon's fault. What would happen if she inadvertently _ruined_ Remus' life permanently? Would she ever forgive herself?

"I think she'd be devastated," he said softly.

Dad nodded in agreement.

So, it was back to the fact that he could not tell her, for any number of reasons. While his father made reasonable arguments for keeping the secret, he also made it clear he didn't think Lindi could handle it if she did find out. But whether she could or not was beside the point, at least as far as Remus was concerned. Even though he had tried to ignore the truth these past few months, the fact of the matter was, she deserved better than all this. Dad was right; No matter what Remus' friends might say, lycanthropy wasn't just some _furry little problem_. It really _was _ugly and _difficult_, and if Remus really cared about her, he wouldn't let her get involved (or _more_ involved) with someone like him, even if, by some miracle, she decided she wanted to.

"You're right," Remus said. "I don't know what I was thinking. How could I have been so selfish?"

Dad's eyes narrowed as he watched his son. "For wanting to be honest with her?"

"For wanting her to be messed up with someone like me, to have to live with my damned lycanthropy!"

"Now hold on, Remus," Dad said firmly. "I think Lindi would be lucky to have someone like you and I think she thinks so, too. At any rate, I think you owe it to her to let her have a say in it."

"You just said you didn't think she could handle it," Remus said, perplexed, "and I really don't want her to have to. Look at what it's done to you and Mum."

Dad looked almost stricken. "Your mother and I consider ourselves very blessed to have you, Remus. If you don't realize that, perhaps we haven't been doing things right."

Shame flooded through him. He had never meant to insinuate that he didn't know how much they loved him. "You know it's not that, Dad," he said, "but how much better would your lives have been if not for my illness?"

"That's something we can never know," said his father. "I _do_ know that we would not be nearly so happy _without_ you as we are _with_ you, lycanthropy and all. I hate that you have had to live with it and I wish more than anything someone would come up with a cure. I used to dream about finding a way to get a Time-Turner so I could go back and—and do things differently. But now…" Dad looked away. His jaw clenched so tightly that it knotted at the side. A deep frown line formed between his eyes as he obviously struggled to think of how to say what he wanted to say. "If I had the chance to go back and change it, I _would_, but, Remus, there is a very selfish part of me that would hesitate to do it." Dad turned and looked at Remus' surprised face. He smiled sadly, nodding. "It's true, because, as much as I hate what you have suffered, I know that it—the suffering, the isolation—that has all played a part in making you who you are, and—" His voice was tight and brittle, sounding as though he had to fight to keep it from cracking, but he continued. "And I could not love you more or feel prouder of you than I do." Dad looked away as his eyes reddened. "I know that our relationship would likely be very different if we hadn't been forced to keep so much to ourselves, and I would not trade it for all the gold in Gringotts. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world, but for your happiness."

Remus fought mightily against the blasted lump in his throat and the burning in his eyes. He loved his father. His heart might be breaking as he lost the girl of his dreams, but at least he had Dad, and Mum. He supposed it could always be worse.

Dad sniffed loudly and blinked his eyes. "My point is, Remus," Dad said vigorously, overcoming the moment of sentimentality. "Whether because of it, or in spite of it, you are who you are largely due to your lycanthropy and who you are is a very good person. I _know _that, so I have a point of view that many people lack when looking at lycanthropy, as does your mother and your three good friends and anyone else who gives themselves the opportunity to get to know you. I think Lindi might very well see it as we do, too, if she had the chance to get to know you better and do a little maturing before she found out. Again, I think she deserves the chance to decide for herself, when she's ready."

_Could this possibly be true? _ "But—"

Dad interrupted him with a sigh. "There are a hundred buts and what ifs, Remus. What if someone discovers a cure in the next year?" Remus blinked, considering it hopefully. Dad smirked pointedly. "But you've broken up with her and she's with someone else by then? Anything can happen. I can't tell you what to do. You have to decide what you feel is right and _be able to live with it_. If you're going to feel so guilty about not telling her that you can't enjoy it, you might as well not bother. But I'll give you one more bit of information to consider and then I'm going to leave you to think about it. I worked with a man when I was still with the Ministry Liaison office in Alsace. He was the heir to one of the richest pure-blood families in France. One of the women on my team was from a well-to-do family in Ireland. She was a very bright and talented witch, and not hard on the eyes either. I often wondered why she wasn't already married, knowing how the pure-blood families like to marry their children off to one another, but I figured she was more interested in her career. Anyway, she and your mother got to be good friends, which is how I know about all this. Well, to try and make a long story short, these two pure-bloods started dating each other and soon began falling in love, but there was a problem. Muriel, the woman, told your mother she had a secret she was keeping. It turned out, she was infertile. She had been married young and unable to produce an heir. When her infertility had been determined, her husband's family had procured a quiet annulment and she had moved to London, heartbroken, and then on to France where she found herself again falling in love with a man she feared would reject her if he learned she could not produce him an heir. So she didn't tell him until the night he proposed marriage."

His father paused, probably to let this all sink in for Remus. What was Dad suggesting? That Remus should wait until he proposed to tell Lindi he was a werewolf?

"Now, as you can imagine, that hadn't been the response the poor bloke had been hoping for, but Muriel knew she couldn't keep it from him any longer."

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"Things were very strained, to say the least. He knew his family would not approve, as he was the only male heir. He stood to lose the family fortune. He was furious that she hadn't told him sooner and they broke up—for a time. But after several months of complete and utter misery, they got back together. He decided he'd rather have her and be poor than be rich without her." Dad smiled with satisfaction. "It isn't exactly the same as your case, but it _is_ similar. Had Muriel told him sooner, he would not have had the chance to get to know how much he wanted and needed her. Was that wrong of her? Did she have the right to try to keep the man she loved?" Dad shrugged indicating that _these_ were rhetorical questions and Remus would have to come up with his own answers.

"So they married? Did his family disown him?" Remus asked.

"Yes and yes."

"And how did he feel, then?" Remus asked, worried about the answer.

"Well, you'd have to ask him, but the last I heard, they were still quite happy and living in Romania. They run a dragon preserve and have three adopted children. Orphans of a couple that were killed by a rogue Norwegian Ridgeback, I believe."

His father clapped his hands on his thighs loudly and stood. Apparently, their discussion was at an end. He turned and smiled down at Remus who was deep in thought. "So, did the ends justify the means?" Dad asked. He put a weathered hand on Remus' shoulder, gave it a squeeze and turned without waiting for a reply. He walked quietly out the side door, leaving his son alone to mull things over.


	43. Decisions, GagGifts, and Worries Aplent

**Chapter 43 Decisions, Gag-Gifts, and Worries Aplenty**

**A/N: I know I dealt with Remus' worries about telling Lindi his secret, ad nauseum in the last chapter. However, I have always felt that his lycanthropy was an ENORMOUS secret and that it was incredibly important that it did not get out. Willfully telling someone would be one of the toughest decisions Remus would make during his school years. In fact, I don't think he ever did, in canon. I think it is very important in showing just how much of a problem his lycanthropy was for him and how much prejudice he faced. After all, even Molly is frightened of the man sharing a room with Arthur, who was bitten by the werewolf, and she is friends with Remus at the time. I realize I'm making a huge deal about this, but I think it was a huge deal to Remus. **

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Remus entered the house through the back door, in hopes of finding his mother alone in the kitchen. He wanted to talk to her before she worried herself sick. After sitting for—well, he didn't know how long he had sat there in the barn thinking, but he was chilled nearly to the bone. Mum wasn't in sight, but the heat from the stove and the smell of buttery shortbread baking in the oven warmed him, so he pushed the door to and started to fix himself a cup of tea, planning to wait until his mother returned. He knew it wouldn't be long before she was back to check on her biscuits. It was Christmas Eve after all, and there were many things she needed to prepare for their feasting tomorrow.

Just as the kettle started to whistle, the door to the cellar swung open and Mum swept in carrying a sack of flour and a large bowl of walnuts. She looked a bit startled to find Remus standing at her stove.

"I was just going to have a cup of tea. Would you like one?" he asked.

"I think so, thank you," she said, setting the flour and walnuts down on the counter. Her eyes looked searchingly at his face as if she were trying to tell if he'd come to a decision. There was worry in them. "You pour the tea while I take the shortbread out of the oven before it burns."

They both worked silently. Remus could sense the tension his mother must be feeling. Finally, they settled at the kitchen table, tea cups and warm triangles of shortbread waiting in front of them. Remus pinched the tip off his biscuit and popped it into his mouth where it melted like butter. He realized he hadn't eaten in quite a while. He reached out and lifted the whole piece.

"_Well_," Mum said impatiently.

"It's delicious," Remus said. He couldn't help smiling at the exasperated look on his mother's face.

"Not the biscuits!" she snapped and he chuckled quietly.

"I know." He lowered the shortbread without taking a bite and placed it back on the plate. "Can I ask you something first?"

"Of course," she said. She tried to appear calm, but Remus knew she was terribly anxious. She hadn't touched her tea or shortbread.

Remus took a sip of his own tea, to give him a moment to think how to word this. It was a very difficult question for him to ask, especially of his mother. He already knew she wasn't particularly happy about his developing relationship with Lindi, but how would she feel about it if Remus continued to date Lindi, even without being honest with her. He knew where his father stood, and was fairly sure about how James and Sirius felt. But Remus needed an answer from Mum, not only as his mother, but also as the only female whose perspective he could get on the matter. It had crossed his mind that he should talk to Lily.

Though she wasn't part of his innermost circle, Lily had become a good friend over the past year. She was also a _girl_, so she could offer more insight into how Lindi might react. Still, Lily didn't know his secret, and Remus felt he couldn't tell her. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but if he wasn't going to tell Lindi, he knew he couldn't tell anyone else. He was certain that would make it much harder for Lindi to forgive. Since he couldn't get Lily's opinion, he needed to hear something definitive from Mum.

The fact of the matter was, he was very worried that she would think badly of him for lying to Lindi. It was bad enough worrying about what Lindi would do when she finally found out, but he didn't want everyone else to lose all respect for him. It was very important for him to have the approval of his parents and the few true friends that he had. He knew it was a weakness of his, but he couldn't help it. At least in this case, it was working to make him try to do the _right_ thing, instead of making him overlook things his friends did that were probably not so right. Still, it was very difficult to ask his mother about this.

"Will you think less of me, if I go on seeing Lindi without being honest with her?" he asked, the words rushing out of his mouth.

There—he'd said it.

"Oh, Remus," Mum sighed heavily. She put her elbows on the table and dropped her face into her hands. Remus wasn't sure what her reaction meant. Did she feel bad for him, because her answer wasn't going to be what he wanted to hear, or was it a sign of relief that he might be considering not telling Lindi his secret? Or was it simply sadness that her little boy was really growing up? After a long and awkward moment, she sniffed and lifted her head, gazing at him solemnly.

"You know I would prefer you to focus on your studies and not be distracted by dating. I think you are far too young to have a _serious_ romantic relationship. Still, as much as I may not like it, I know you have feelings for her. Now it's nothing against Lindi, Remus. I think she's a dear. I just wish you would have waited to get involved." Mum wrung her hands in frustration. "But I know there's nothing I can do to change the way you feel, any more than you can. I also know how desperately you want to do the right thing and I _know_ you don't want to deceive Lindi. Unfortunately, I truly believe you need to and I think it is _alright_, under the circumstances. It would be different if you were lying to her out of malice or to hide something you could control."

"Like what?" Remus asked, curious to know what she might find unacceptable to lie about if his lycanthropy wasn't.

"I don't know," Mum said. "Take those awful Death Eater people. If you were one of them, willfully doing something so wicked and didn't tell her even though you knew she wouldn't approve. Or if you were lying to her just to—to—" Mum waved her hand in the air as if shooing away an unpleasantness, "have your way with her."

Remus felt his face blaze instantly. _Oh, please, let's not get into a sex talk_.

"But I know you wouldn't do that. For one thing, you know I'd throttle you to within an inch of your life, if I thought you were. But again, I know you care about her," Mum said with resignation, "and I know you want to do right by her, and I promise you, I won't think any less of you if you continue to see her without telling her the truth." She reached across the table and grabbed his hand in hers. "Just please, _please_ don't jeopardize your future. If you don't do it for yourself, then do it for me. I won't have a moment's peace for worrying about you. You're so young; you have your whole life ahead of you. Just take things slowly, one day at a time; see what happens and then…"

"Then if it reaches a point where I _have_ to tell her?"

"We'll jump off that bridge if we come to it. Hopefully, it will be safe by then. The point is you don't _have _to tell her right _now_. Please say you won't."

Remus stared into his mother's pleading eyes. He really didn't want to hurt her. He really didn't want to stop seeing Lindi either, or to lie, or for anyone to think badly of him. His head was starting to throb and it wasn't even nearing the full moon.

"Remus?" Mum said, waiting desperately for an answer.

"I won't tell her, for now, Mum," he said. He decided to leave it at that, for his mother's sake, but he thought to himself, _I can probably give it a month or two_.

His mother's anxiety was swept away almost instantly as the invisible weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. The mood in the room changed with such speed he thought he could feel the air stirring around them.

"Thank heaven," she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. "You're doing the right thing, Remus."

"I hope so," he said. He wished he could be so sure, but Mum's visible relief was almost contagious. Maybe it was simply having made a decision, right or wrong, but he felt relief flood over him as well. He wasn't nearly so sure he was doing the right thing as his mother obviously was, but he felt it was a decision he could live with, _for now_.

Of course, who knew how he would feel the next time he looked into Lindi's warm, _trusting_ face? The image of it burst into his mind and he considered that when he finally saw her again, after so many days apart, he would probably have _other_ things on his mind, anyway. The thought made him feel a bit guilty, but he couldn't help himself. He just wanted to be with her. It was going to seem like forever before they were back at Hogwarts.

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Remus found James and Sirius upstairs, in his room. Actually, he _caught_ them in his room, rummaging through his things. Standing in the doorway, unnoticed, he watched in near amazement as James flipped through a stack of papers Remus recognized as having come from his desk. Sure enough, the top drawer stood open. Meanwhile, Sirius was lounging on his bed flipping through the book that was Remus' old childhood favorite, _Princess Milena and the Wicked Warlock_. A few other books were scattered around him, including an old journal Remus had kept as a boy. Remus opened his mouth to ask what on earth they thought they were doing when James snorted with delight.

"Oi, Padfoot, how 'bout this?" James said breaking into an enormous grin. He held up a full-page color clipping for Sirius to see.

Remus nearly groaned from embarrassment. It was the advertisement for the French Maid costume that Remus had found so _attractive_ in second year. He had liked it so much that he had never thrown it away, though he had tucked it into the drawer quite some time ago. Actually, he had almost forgotten where he'd put it.

"_Ooohhh_," Sirius _did_ groan—with _glee_. He threw the book aside and sat up to pull his wand. "I remember that! Let me see it." He silently summoned the ad.

"How could you forget it? Remember the look on his face the first time he saw it?" James sniggered. "I thought he was going to start drooling all over it."

"_First _time?" Sirius smirked. "You mean _every_ time. I finally had to tear it out for him, so I could look at the rest of the bloody catalogue. You'd have thought he'd never seen a woman before."

"I was twelve!" Remus said, finally stepping into the room. He simply had to defend himself. First, he put the silencing charm on the pipe, since Mum was still in the kitchen. "I never _had_ seen a woman like _that_ before. Mum didn't exactly get her knickers from naughty Muggle lingerie catalogues."

James and Sirius didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed at being caught invading their friend's privacy. Instead, they chortled even louder.

"You act as though I stared at it all the time," Remus continued, finding it harder and harder not to laugh as he felt his ears join the back of his neck in burning a bright red. "I didn't ask you to give it to me. You know you were just trying to embarrass me."

"Well, you didn't throw it away, did you?" Sirius said, waving the picture.

"He's got you there, Moony," James grinned.

"Alright, fine, I liked it. I admit it," Remus said. "Now, would you care to tell me why you are snooping through my personal things?"

"We were bored," said Sirius. He leaned back against the headboard of the bed again.

"Oh, well, that's a good reason to invade my privacy."

"Yep," said James. "What's with the Muggle sprog book?" He pointed at the Princess Milena book now lying on the foot of Sirius' bed.

Remus really didn't want to get into that. It was one thing for them to know about his _attraction_ to the sexy French Maid, but he didn't really want the abuse they would give him if he told them that Princess Milena was his "first love".

"My grandmother got it for me when she took me on a trip into London, when I was little. It has sentimental value."

"She got you a little girl's book?" Sirius taunted.

"Actually, it's a book of high adventure," Remus said, ignoring the gibe. "Evil wizards, magic, gallant knights, and sword duels." _And a beautiful, exotic princess_, he reminisced fondly.

"Speaking of gallant knights," said James. He reached across the desk and picked up _Hairy Snout, Human Heart._ "Did you decide what to do about this?"

The room instantly took on a much more serious air as James and Sirius both watched him gravely.

"I've decided to hang on to it, for a while," Remus said.

Though not nearly as drastic as it had been with his mother, Remus noted the instant brightening in the mood of the room.

"I told you Moony's cool head would prevail," said James, casting Sirius a look of approval.

"Yeah, you called it. You should have gone on with NEWT Divination," Sirius said. He was quite sarcastic, but Remus felt sure Sirius was relieved that he hadn't _completely lost his mind_.

"Clearly, I don't need that rubbish," James scoffed. "Now, let's go have some of that shortbread. The smell has been killing me." He crammed Remus' papers unceremoniously back into the desk drawer.

Sirius, ignoring the statute on underage magic outside of school, waved his wand lazily and the books and journals he had been perusing floated back onto the bookshelf. Then the three made their way downstairs.

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On Christmas morning, Remus was awakened by the sound of James' excited voice and the lights coming on. Like Remus, Sirius rolled over with a grunt and squinted into the harsh brightness, each wondering why their friend was waking them so early. Remus still enjoyed presents, of course, but he had outgrown the nearly euphoric excitement that prevents children from sleeping past sunrise on Christmas day. He would have thought James should have, too, but one look at the long, narrow package James was tearing into with gusto and Remus knew why James was making sounds of near ecstasy. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had obviously splurged on that new broomstick James had been lusting after since its debut last summer.

James pulled the paper away and ran his hand lovingly over the polished wood. Nimbus 1500 shimmered in golden print on the end of the handle.

"Excellent," Sirius said, pulling himself up to sit. "Dellington doesn't have a chance in that race, now."

James looked up.

"Not that you weren't going to beat her before," Sirius added.

Smirking, James went back to admiring his gift.

"What does she fly, by the way?" Sirius asked. He slid off the bed and sat next to his own pile of gifts.

"Nimbus 1000," James answered distractedly. "It's an excellent broom. It'll top a hundred miles per hour, but this beauty," he ran his hand over the markings again, "will top out at around one-twenty and will do it in under twenty seconds, assuming you've got the nerve." James looked up and grinned massively. "Hurry up and open your presents. I want to go try her out."

Remus climbed out of bed and joined the others on the floor, making a quick inventory of his own gifts as he did. He spotted a meticulously wrapped box tied up with a large green velvet bow.

_That's not from James, Sirius, or Peter_, he thought, as a flutter of delight filled his stomach. It had to be from Lindi. He recognized the gifts from his mum and dad by the paper he had used on his own gift to Lindi. He could also pick out the package with the small, hand-knitted stocking that always embellished the gift from his grandparents. Granny Beatrice made the tiny stocking each year for Grandpa Lupin to put a Galleon in. Remus had always been pretty good about saving _most_ of the money, though his grandfather always implored him to have fun with it. This year, however, Remus was sure he would be putting it to pleasant use. After all, he would need money to take Lindi out during Hogsmeade weekends. Grandpa would be happy about that.

Remus pulled the stocking off, laid it on the bed and opened the package. Inside was a pair of Muggle trousers, blue jeans to be exact. He lifted the card lying on top and read:

_Dear Remus, _

_I thought you could use a new pair of trousers to wear when we go into the city. Those you had on last trip were getting awfully short and thin in the knees. I hope these fit, though the way you keep growing, I won't be surprised if they don't. Just send them back if you need a different size, and I'll exchange them when we get back from Australia. We sure will miss seeing you this holiday. _

_Love,_

_Granny Bea_

Remus would miss them as well. They would be spending the holiday with his aunt and uncle and their children, whom Remus had not seen since he was very small. He had learned, much later, that the falling out between his father and his father's brother's family had been over him, more specifically his lycanthropy. The falling out had been hard on Dad, because he and Uncle Rolph had been close, but Aunt Lucinda had insisted that her children not be exposed to _any werewolf_, and Uncle Rolph, when forced to chose, had of course chosen his own family. Granny Bea had told Remus all about it a few years ago, when he had asked her about pictures in her home. It had been hard for his grandmother to see her boys torn apart over it, but she made sure to let Remus know it wasn't his fault. Granny Bea had admitted (rather hotly) that she had never been overly fond of Lucinda, but she was her son's wife and the mother of her other grandchildren, so she tried very hard to put up with Lucinda's _bigoted ways_.

Remus smiled, remembering the fire in Granny Bea's face when she'd told him; he really loved his grandmother. He sat the box with the blue jeans up onto the bed and opened his next gift. A new winter cloak and scarf from his parents. _Good_, his wrists were always cold in the old one. And they had bought him a book, _Danger Brewing: The Rise of Grindelwald or How Decent People Turned a Blind Eye to the Evil In Our Midst Until It Was Almost Too Late. By Edgar Bones._ Remus had read about the book in a review posted in _The Daily Prophet_ just a couple of weeks ago. Mr. Bones had apparently been unimpressed with what he saw as the lack of aggressive action on the part of the Ministry in dealing with the current threat from this Lord Voldemort. Of course, after the attacks on Mr. Philburn, the member of the Wizengamot who'd been killed last fall, the Ministry had stepped up its tactics a bit. Still, Mr. Bones was under the impression that the rise of Lord Voldemort had been allowed to continue in similar fashion to that of Grindelwald. He had written a book in hopes that readers would learn the lessons of the past before the tragedies were repeated. This would be a very interesting book, even if it did come a little late in light of the rapidly increasing problems being caused by Lord Voldemort and his supporters.

"Moony, aren't you finished?" James said. "Come on."

Remus set the book aside. He would read it after his friends went back to the Potters' home. He really wanted to see what Lindi had gotten him, anyway. The box was not light as he pulled it towards him. He opened it to find a pointed crystal sticking up through tissue paper and dug whatever it was out. When he had lifted it from the box, he could see that it was a triangular crystal form encasing a very long, sharp yellowed fang. The massive tooth must have been nearly five inches long. He pulled the note that Lindi had spellotaped to the bottom of the object loose and tried to decipher the messy scrawl. He briefly considered that his next gift for her would be a Legibility Quill.

_Dear Remus, _

_Merry Christmas. In case you are wondering what this is, it is a tooth from a Nundu. I know that is rather unpleasant, but I thought you might find it— _(He was pretty sure the next word was _interesting_.) He continued reading_— given your fascination with creatures. I hope you do, anyway. I thought it would make a fun paper weight or something for you. _

_I'm sure you know all about the Nundu, so I should tell you the fang has been thoroughly sterilized and it would even be safe if the crystal surrounding it were to break. _

Remus lifted the heavy crystal to inspect the tooth again. Lindi was right; he knew about the Nundu, one of the most dangerous of all magical creatures. The large black feline had breath that could wipe out an entire village, hence the need to be careful of anything from the beasts' mouth. Lindi was also right in her assumption that he would find it interesting. Fortunately, they were rare creatures and very difficult to capture or kill. There wouldn't be a lot of these teeth lying around. He sat it down so he could finish reading her note.

_I really hope you enjoy it. I couldn't think what else to get you. I was going to get you a book, but you already had all the ones I thought of. Will thought the fang was cool, too, but it just seems so woefully inadequate next to my fantastic snow globe. Of course, I think anything would. I just love it so much. Thank you again._

_Well, I better get Atticus on his way, or this will never reach you by Christmas. I wish I could bring it myself. _

_See you soon,_

_Lindi_

Remus wished she could have brought it herself, too. He lifted the card up and sniffed it to see if her scent was there, that subtle smell of spice and cocoa he'd noticed in her hair when they'd danced. He was disappointed. Apparently it was just her shampoo and too subtle to rub off on the card.

"What are you doing?" James asked, looking a little dumbfounded.

Remus lowered the card trying his best not to blush. "Nothing."

James glanced at Sirius who looked like he didn't know if he should laugh or gag.

"I'm not even going to say anything," Sirius said. He shook his head the way one does with a hopeless case.

Remus was immensely thankful Sirius chose to keep his mouth shut. Next time, he wouldn't do anything so _lovesick_ in front of his friends. It would probably be best to hurry up and change the subject before Sirius changed his mind about saying something.

"What's that you've got?" Remus asked.

Sirius held up a photograph for Remus to take. "Picture of Andromeda's girl, Nymphadora."

"I'm afraid I'd have to kill my mum and dad when I grew up, if they named me Nymphadora," said James, snickering. "Can you imagine the abuse she's going to take when she gets older? Kid's can be brutally cruel to one another."

"Thank you, Dr. Potter," Sirius smirked. "But it's the truth. Andromeda is the best, but I'm not sure what she was thinking. Nymphadora is a tough little blighter, though. I think she'll be able to take care of herself, if she doesn't kill herself walking down the stairs first. Poor kid is apparently uncoordinated."

"Uncoordinated _and_ called Nymphadora," James sniggered more. "That kid is doomed."

Remus looked down at the picture. A little girl with orange pigtails stared back, made a strained face and suddenly, her nose stretched until it looked like a pig snout. It was rather disturbing, but humorous, none the less.

"She's learned to control her morphing a lot better, which Andromeda's really happy about," said Sirius, glancing over at the photo. "She hasn't been able to take Nymphadora out anywhere that there might possibly be Muggles because her hair kept turning different colors, depending on her mood. Every time she'd throw a wobbler, it would turn fire engine red, and if she got the hiccups, or sneezed, her nose would change shapes."

"That would be hard to explain to a Muggle," said Remus. He handed the picture to James who flinched when the pig snout appeared.

"I hope she doesn't forget how to change that back. I'd hate for her to get stuck with that nose, on top of being a klutz _and_ called Nymphadora." James laughed again and handed the picture back to Sirius. "But being a Metamorphmagus would be brilliant, so she'll probably be alright. Come on, are you two finished yet?"

"I still have one," said Remus. He tore the paper off of the large, flat package quickly but carefully. This was from his friends, and one never knew what might be hiding in a _gift_ from those three. When he read the words on the box, he felt that this had to be the most horrifying gift they'd ever given him. The Be-Ready-For-Romance Kit: Complete with Mirror, Breath Checker, and… _Oh you have got to be kidding_, thought Remus… Drive-em-Wild Tingling Lip Balm.

Remus was at a complete loss for words.

"Go on; open it," James urged.

"Do I have too?" Remus asked.

"There's gratitude for you," said Sirius. "Here we are just trying to make sure you don't go to meet Lindi with a big crusty dragon hanging out your nose and you show no appreciation."

"Fine, but I could just as easily use the mirror that's already in the room," Remus said as he lifted the lid off the box. "Why do I get the distinct feeling that's what I should do?" James and Sirius just shrugged innocently, which only helped reinforce Remus' apprehension. He raised the mirror out of the box and looked into it.

"Hello, handsome," said a sultry voice. "You're going to knock her dead, but first, you need to do something with that bed head. You also have a bit of dried drool on your chin, not to mention all that stubble. Somebody needs to shave and then she won't be able to keep her—"

Remus laid the mirror face down on the rug to prevent any further comment or critique of his appearance. James and Sirius were obviously impressed with the assessment as they snickered happily.

"I like her voice," said Sirius as he raised it to himself.

"Hello, gorgeous, you are going to knock her dead, but first, there's a little sleep in the corner of that gorgeous right eye." Sirius reached up and wiped the crust away. "Perfect," purred the voice.

The fact that the mirror made no mention of Sirius' bed head, or the stubble on his chin that was much heavier than Remus' own, was not lost on Remus. Of course, Sirius' hair always looked good, and apparently the mirror approved of a scruffy looking Sirius. James smirked when Sirius handed the mirror to him looking quite smug.

"Hello, handsome," the voice said to James. "You are going to knock her dead, but first, you need to do something about that bed head. Oh, and you have smudges all over your glasses. She won't be able to see through them to those pretty hazel eyes. Somebody needs to shave, and then she—"

James also turned the mirror face down on the rug.

"What _is_ that?" Remus asked feeling slightly disgusted.

"A mirror to tell you what's wrong with you," Sirius said.

"I was able to figure that much out, thanks," said Remus. "But that voice, and the way it says everything is really rather disturbing."

"It's meant to point out things that need to be fixed, but help boost your self esteem so you feel confident," James said as he read from the box, "_Because nothing makes you more attractive than self-confidence_." He handed Remus the tube shaped object from the box. "Here, try the Breath Checker, _because nothing will turn a date off faster than dragon breath._"

"Where did you get this stuff? Is it from Zonko's?" Remus asked, taking the small tube.

"Nah, believe it or not, this isn't a joke item. We found it at Erosian's Erotic Emporium. There were some other things we thought about getting you, but you have to be of age," Sirius said waggling his eyebrows and grinning wickedly.

Well, it might not have been intended as a joke item by the manufacturer, but Remus was quite sure it had been intended as a joke by his friends. _Or it better have been_, he thought.

"Where on earth is Erosian's Erotic Emporium?" asked Remus.

"It's in Knockturn Alley," said James.

"You went to Knockturn Alley? I don't remember ever seeing a place like that when we explored it in fourth year," Remus said.

"It just opened about a year ago, apparently, but we came across it last summer when we followed Avery and Rosier to see what they were up to, remember?" said Sirius.

Remus thought back to the previous summer. "I didn't go down Knockturn Alley with you last summer," Remus said.

"I know, but we told you about it," said Sirius.

Remus racked his brain to remember. He was quite sure he wouldn't have forgotten about something like the two Slytherins skulking about Knockturn Alley. "I don't think you told me."

"I'm sure we did. You just don't remember. I think it was following full moon. You were probably out of it," said James.

"Well what were they up to?" Remus asked.

"We couldn't tell. Avery went into a section that was restricted to adults and came back with a bag. Rosier couldn't get through the age checking charm, so we didn't try. Didn't want them to know we were there," James explained.

"You mean there is a shop in Knockturn Alley that actually enforces age limits?" Remus asked. The stores in Knockturn Alley were notoriously shady places.

"Yeah, apparently the owner is trying to get approval to open up on Diagon Alley, but that'll never happen. Go on; check the Breath Checker so we can go. I'm starved and I want to try my new broom," said James.

"How does it work?"

"Just blow in it," said James.

Grudgingly, Remus lifted the tube and gave a quick puff into the mouth piece.

"You have morning breath, dear," a motherly voice announced in a whisper. "Brush and gargle recommended."

"It works," James said.

"I need a device to tell me that I need to brush in the morning," Remus said. He considered that the Breath Checker might have its uses, though, but that mirror would find itself in the box, hidden away in the attic somewhere.

Next, James urged Remus to try the tingling lip balm, but Remus refused, pointing out that he wasn't about to test it with either of them. Sirius put some on and found that it either didn't work, or needed to be activated, presumably by kissing someone. They would simply have to wait to find out if it worked, though Remus was not likely to use anything like that with Lindi. He just couldn't imagine her asking him about it and then having to admit it came from a place called Erosian's Erotic Emporium. _What on earth would she think of that? _ Remus wasn't planning to find out anytime soon. He offered it to Sirius who slipped it into his suitcase.

With the fun over, they made their way downstairs to eat the first feast of the day. James nearly made himself sick flying so wildly after eating such a large breakfast, but the joy in his face was evidence that it was worth it.

Soon, another Christmas had come and gone. After a few days more, James' parents returned from their cruise and he and Sirius packed up their things and left. It was very quiet at the Lupin's without them, but quite peaceful. Remus actually enjoyed his few remaining days alone with his parents. He had the opportunity to read his new book and found a new, increased respect for Albus Dumbledore. Remus wouldn't have thought it possible for him to respect the man any more. However, the author had made it clear that, but for Dumbledore, their world would probably be a very different place. Remus also got the distinct impression that Mr. Bones believed the Ministry should look to Dumbledore in the current situation as well. Remus wondered why they were not, but also considered that perhaps the Headmaster was not interested in fighting the Ministry's battles this time, although that didn't feel right to Remus. He knew Professor Dumbledore would not allow Voldemort to continue if he was in a position to stop it.

Then, Remus remembered the conversation with Emmeline Vance about the group Dumbledore was rumored to be part of. Was the Professor working behind the scenes at the Ministry? Was he working independently, and if so, why? Would the defeat of Voldemort come down to a final showdown between him and Albus Dumbledore, as Grindelwald's had? Would Voldemort be as terrible as Grindelwald? Would Dumbledore be up to the challenge? After all, he had been much younger during Grindelwald's time. All these questions swirled in Remus' mind, but he found reassurance when he considered how vibrant Professor Dumbledore was. The man exuded power.

After reading the book, Remus spent a great deal of time contemplating the rising problem of Lord Voldemort. It gave him something to occupy his mind with so that he didn't constantly think about Lindi and when he would see her next. He received a letter from her to wish him a happy New Year. In it, she told of the people who had come into the pub over the holiday, and a couple of things gave him cause for concern. He found himself rereading the letter over and over again.

_Dear Remus,_

_Isn't it time to head back to Hogwarts? I'm definitely ready, though I'm frightened nearly to death to find out how I did on my DADA examination. If I failed it, my chance of retesting the O.W.L. is over and so is my chance to be accepted into Healer Training. I think I might have passed, but it will be close. Cross your fingers for me, won't you?_

_I'm also ready to get away from the Three Broomsticks. Things were nice and quiet for a while, but these last few days have been anything but. A couple of days ago, a huge group showed up and was very rowdy. It was Mr. Malfoy's stag party. You know him, don't you? Well, I nearly asked Rosmerta to let me leave, but he apologized for what had happened. I think he was nearly as embarrassed by it as I was_.

Remus tried to think what Lindi might be talking about. What had Malfoy apologized for? The way she mentioned it made it sound like she thought Remus knew what she was talking about, but he had no idea. He realized that she wrote letters much the same way that she talked, rambling on unless she was stopped for clarification. He would obviously have to get her to explain when he saw her. The letter continued.

_It was still awkward, but not too bad. It wasn't nearly as bad as tonight. We had a regular Muggle-style brawl. It was awful. These three men came in and one of them is sort of famous, or infamous I should say. He was in the papers a few weeks ago. You probably read about him. His name is Fenrir Greyback…_.

Remus' heart skipped a beat—or two.

_He's a werewolf who caused a lot of trouble a long time ago and apparently, a lot of people are afraid of him. At first, I felt sorry for him, because it was obvious he made people uncomfortable, but I have to admit, he isn't a very nice person. He was awful, to be perfectly frank. I've never met anyone quite so vulgar in my entire life, with the possible exception of Julian Avery. I think Greyback was just trying to impress his two friends, but it was very embarrassing and a lot of the customers were nervous. Some even left. Then, this man, who'd had a bit too much to drink, bumped into Greyback and all you-know-what broke loose. I thought Greyback was going to rip the man to shreds with his bare hands. It was horrible. I was so glad Will was still in town. He finally managed to break things up, with the help of a couple of Aurors who were patrolling Hogsmeade. They took the whole lot into custody for disorderly conduct, well all but the poor bloke. He was taken to St. Mungo's in very poor shape. Poor Rosmerta's so upset now. We're probably going to have to testify at a hearing on it and she's afraid Mr. Greyback will be angry, but he has to know they wouldn't put up with that sort of nonsense. I bet it makes it into _The Daily Prophet.

Remus' heart was pounding, now. Every time he read that, it made him more uneasy. The thought that Lindi had to deal with Fenrir Greyback made his blood boil one minute and run cold the next. Greyback was far too dangerous. Remus wondered if there was anyway for Lindi to refuse to testify, though he knew she had a responsibility to help see to it that Greyback paid for his actions. Oh, Remus had a bad feeling about this. Greyback had done so much harm to his life already.

If he hurt Lindi, Remus would kill him.

With quivering hands, Remus finished reading the letter, though between the shaking paper and her messy writing, it wasn't easy to do.

_Anyway, things certainly haven't been boring, but I'm ready for the holidays to be over. Besides, I can't wait to see you again. It seems like it has been weeks instead of only days, but it's almost over. So, I'll see you soon. _

_Tell your mum and dad hello for me._

_Happy New Year,_

_Lindi_

Oh, he couldn't wait to see her, either. Knowing she had been in contact with Greyback, he wanted proof that she was alright, though she clearly was. How else could she have sent the letter? She also seemed to be oblivious to how serious this all could be. He didn't feel a sense of urgency in her words when she wrote about the incident. Lindi just didn't seem to realize how dangerous the world really was. That worried him so much. Fortunately, he would be with her again very soon, so that he could keep an eye on her. It made him feel far less guilty about his decision to keep seeing her even though he couldn't tell her about his lycanthropy. Somehow, keeping her safe from the _other_ dangers in the world seemed like a way to help make up for his deception. He sincerely hoped that she would see it that way, someday. But for him, it made it much easier to face her when the day they returned to Hogwarts finally arrived.


	44. No Funny Business

**Chapter 44 No Funny Business**

**A/N: Thanks goes to MaraudersWolf for betaing (twice no less!) Also, thank you to babekitty92 for checking and correcting my Aussie slang/dialect. :)**

**So, this is as far as I get before the final book is released. I'm very curious to see how AU my story becomes after this weekend. The next time I post a chapter, it will be with full knowledge of what ultimately happens. Maybe there will still be gaps in the story that I can continue to enjoy filling. I plan to attempt it, at any rate. Thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated.**

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The holiday finally ended and it was time to return to Hogwarts. When Remus arrived at Kings Cross Station, he noticed immediately that security was heightened on both sides of the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. The Muggle law enforcement was more visible than Remus remembered for quite some time. Of course, it might have only seemed that way, since he was probably more aware of them because of the articles he had recently read in the _Daily Prophet_. There had been a number of reports indicating increased anti-Muggle activity by members of the wizarding world, namely the Death Eaters, as well as some non-human beings and beasts.

There had been a report indicating the suspected involvement of wizards in a violent disturbance at a London Muggle nightclub over New Years Eve that had resulted in the deaths of three Muggles. The Muggle authorities had concluded that some sort of explosive had caused the deaths. The _Daily Prophet_, however, reported that spells had been detected within the building and Aurors had been dispatched to investigate. An anonymous source within the Ministry had informed the reporter that the Imperious Curse was among the spells detected. It was also believed that the perpetrator or perpetrators were probably Death Eaters.

In addition, several days earlier, a report of a Muggle train wreck in Derbyshire had made the wizarding news. The conductor of a goods train had been killed when a large slab of rock had crashed through the window as the train passed under a tunnel opening. The train had continued on, out of control, until it crashed into a passenger train at an intersection, killing five passengers. The Muggle railway authorities were under fire for the apparent collapse of the tunnel opening, though they assured the public that it had passed inspection only weeks before.

However, a spokesman for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had indicated the belief that this had, in fact, been caused by the action of one or more giants. Apparently, trees had been uprooted above the tunnel causing the subsequent landslide that had damaged the entrance. The Muggles had little explanation for the uprooted trees other than a possible earth tremor dislodging them. However, they could not explain why a quake had not registered on their machines, which apparently measured earth movements. Giant involvement would go a long way to explain the destruction. This was also in keeping with what Remus' father had mentioned about the giants being more active lately. It crossed Remus's mind as quite a coincidence that they would suddenly become a problem at the same time Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters had also come into the open.

A familiar sense of dread and foreboding flowed over Remus. It was a feeling that was becoming more common with each passing day. These Death Eaters seemed to perform Unforgivable Curses as often as the Marauders performed _Protego_ against the Slytherins. Remus didn't know why it surprised him to read that they would have used the Imperious Curse, considering some of the things they were being linked to.

More and more, the Ministry was attributing Muggle accidents and crimes to the Death Eaters. Recently, a couple of Muggle women were reported to have claimed that they were abducted by aliens from outer space. They alleged that they had been levitated, subjected to strange experiments and even molested. The Muggle authorities thought the women were suffering from delusions or hallucinations brought on by something called narcotics. Yet, the Ministry officials believed that they were actually victims of assault by Death Eaters.

Remus glanced around at the crowds of people, searching for anything unusual at the station. Were there Aurors keeping guard or would they be on the other side of the barrier? Under the current circumstances, he would be surprised if there weren't wizards patrolling alongside, but unbeknownst to the Muggle law personnel. As he surveyed the people he passed, he heard his name being called from behind.

"Oy, Remus!"

Remus recognized Peter's voice over the noise of the busy terminal. The Muggle law personnel seemed to take notice of the shouting too, so he turned and acknowledged Peter as quickly as he could. He didn't want to attract attention. Mrs. Pettigrew seemed to be of like mind and was in the process of shushing her son and looking about nervously.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Mum," Peter was saying to his mother as they approached. "You can go home now. I'll be fine."

"I'll just walk you to Platform 9 ¾. I won't go through," said Mrs. Pettigrew, smirking at her son. She obviously knew that she was embarrassing him, but didn't care enough to stop.

Peter cast Remus an annoyed glare and rolled his eyes. Knowing what an over-protective mother could be like, Remus smiled in understanding.

"Hello, Mrs. Pettigrew," Remus said.

"Hello, Remus. Did you have a good holiday?"

"Yes, thank you," said Remus. "And you?"

They discussed the pleasantries of the holidays as they continued towards their platform, where Peter received instruction to behave himself and be extra careful when he left the school grounds.

"That's assuming Dumbledore even allows it," added Mrs. Pettigrew. "Now that _You-know-who_—" she said this last in a hushed voice, as if afraid someone was listening_, "_has become so powerful."

"Yeah, alright, I'll be careful, Mum. Now we need to get through," Peter said. He hugged his mum quickly and stepped through the barrier.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Pettigrew," said Remus. He turned and followed Peter.

"Bloody hell," groaned Peter as Remus joined him. "She's driving me barmy. She hasn't let me out of her sight since that wizard disappeared on New Years Day. She's convinced _You-know-who_ is out to get everybody, including _me_." Peter sighed in exasperation.

"_You-know-who_?" Remus asked. Mrs. Pettigrew had said the same thing. Remus felt sure he knew who they meant, but couldn't quite understand why they would refer to Lord Voldemort as You-know-who.

Peter blushed, but looked around nervously before he answered in a hushed voice as his mother had done. "Lord V-Voldemort."

"I thought so, but why are you whispering?"

"I don't know." Peter blushed more deeply. "I think Mum's got me on edge. Let's board the train, shall we?"

Remus looked down the platform towards the Hogwarts Express, taking note of the several probable Aurors scattered around. As he and Peter wove their way through the growing crowd of students, Remus noticed one of the men, a tall dark-haired wizard, watching him and the man started in his direction. Just before the man reached them, Remus recognized him and a sort of sickening tightness gripped his stomach.

"Remus Lupin, isn't it?" The man's voice was thick with an Australian twang.

"Yes," Remus replied.

"I'm Will Chambers, Lin's cousin. We met in Hogsmeade a couple months back."

Remus took note of the none-too-friendly smirk on the other man's face, not to mention the conspicuous absence of a hand offered in greeting. Apparently Will hadn't forgotten, nor had he forgiven the unfortunate circumstances surrounding their first meeting. Remus would not try to pretend that it hadn't happened either, though he wished he could.

"Yes, I remember," he said. He refrained from extending his own hand and waited for Will to say what was on his mind.

"Well done, mate." The sarcasm in Will's voice definitely tainted the compliment. "I wasn't sure if you would. There wasn't a lot left in that bottle of grog you were drinking—not to mention your other _distractions_."

Remus felt his face warming with embarrassment. Having such an awful memory thrown back into his face was bad enough, but being chastised in front of his friend made it all the worse. He glanced over at Peter, who seemed a little discombobulated, too, as he looked from Will to Remus and back again, frowning. Remus turned his gaze back to Will.

"That was not one of my better days. I won't soon forget it," Remus said steadily, remembering the horrible look on Lindi's face. He doubted he would _ever_ forget it.

"I believe you probably mean that. I could tell by the look on your face you knew you'd stuffed up." A smile almost broke on Will's face. "Maybe you _are _smarter than I thought. Lin seems to think so, anyway. She also seems convinced that you're a good bloke, even after you hurt her like you did."

Remus wouldn't allow himself to break eye contact, though he desperately wanted to look away, terribly ashamed. He knew that he had earned the ridicule, but hearing that Lindi felt that way about him made it a bit easier to bear. "I'm very thankful that Lindi is as understanding and forgiving as she is. I made some bad decisions that day and I'm truly sorry for ever hurting her. I'll never be that stupid again."

Will studied Remus for an instant. "That's what I want to talk to you about," he said, no hint of a smile left.

_Oh, crap…You mean there's more? _Remus looked at his watch. Unfortunately, there was still time before the train left at eleven. Still, it might not be such a bad thing. Will was Lindi's cousin and a part of her life. If Remus was going to have a relationship with her, he probably needed to get this out of the way. "Alright," he said steadily, turning to Peter. "You go ahead and get us a compartment. I'll be there shortly."

"Are you sure?" asked Peter, eyeing Will warily. What did Peter think Will was going to do? Curse him? Remus nodded to indicate that he was sure. "Right," Peter responded. "I'll see if Sirius and James are onboard already. They're probably waiting for us."

Remus got the impression that Peter had mentioned their friends for Will's benefit, as if he was less likely to harm Remus if he knew their friends were nearby. A smile slipped Remus' lips. He had to admit that he was sorely dreading this conversation, but he wasn't particularly _worried _about Will. Yes, he was slightly taller and definitely more physically fit. He was also a bit older and probably a more experienced wizard, but he'd have to be a complete idiot to attack Remus right there on the platform, in front of no less than four Aurors. Will didn't really strike Remus as an imbecile.

When Peter had walked away, Will was staring at Remus. "Let's go over there, where we won't be disturbed," he said, motioning to the far end of the platform.

They swerved through the increasing crowds of students, past the billowing steam from the Hogwarts Express engine. Remus noted to himself that the hissing of the steam would mask their voices so that no one could overhear. He appreciated that, when Will turned to him and abruptly said, "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I've had a long talk with Lin, and I know the two of you are dating. Now, I have to tell you, I was a bit shocked to hear it after that incident, but like you say, Lin's a forgiving type—much more forgiving than I am."

_Here comes the real berating_…. For his part, Remus managed to remain calm. He found great comfort in the knowledge that he didn't really crave Will's forgiveness, so long as he had Lindi's. Still, it wouldn't hurt to gain Will's approval, or at least to temper his disdain. Remus considered how he might do this; what could he say?

Will didn't give him the opportunity to say anything just yet.

"I don't mind telling you; I'm not thrilled with the situation," he continued. "I don't know what kind of girls you're used to dating, but if what I saw was any indication, I can assure you; Lin isn't like that, and you sure as hell better not treat her that way. If I ever hear of you putting on a show like that with her, I'll make sure you bloody well regret it. Am I clear?"

Remus' mouth wouldn't seem to work for a second. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he hadn't really expected Will to get quite so explicit. This was quickly overtaking the conversation he'd had with Mum on the train last summer as the most awkward discussion he'd ever had. Granted, it wasn't much of a _discussion_, since he wasn't really saying much. It was more an awkward tongue lashing from Will, and obviously, Remus wasn't answering quickly enough.

"I said, am I clear?"

"Yes, of course," said Remus awkwardly. "Look, I know I made a bad first impression—"

"You've got that right," Will interrupted. "But apparently Lin is dead set on going out with you, so let's get a few things straight, mate. She's like a little sister to me. She doesn't have a father to look after her, so I intend to see to it that she's treated right. I've known her all her life and I know what she's like. She's a good girl; you follow what I mean?"

He glared at Remus pointedly. It was fairly _obvious _what Will meant.

"Yes, I know she is." Remus felt the tips of his ears start to burn in embarrassment.

"Good, don't forget it, because she's also easily influenced. She doesn't like to disappoint people she cares about. Sometimes, she does things against her better judgment. I should know; I've gotten her into a fair bit of trouble over the years, myself. So…"

The shrill whistle of the Hogwarts Express drowned out his voice. Remus was never so happy to hear it. Will looked at his watch and smirked. Apparently, he had more to say, but the train was ready to pull out.

"I'll make this as plain as I can," Will said loudly over the increasing noise of the engine. "Treat her right—and keep it in your dacks, mate!" Will poked Remus in the chest for emphasis. "And we'll get on just fine."

Try as he might, Remus couldn't quite keep his jaw from dropping momentarily. No one had ever talked to him quite this way before. He was quite sure _keeping it in his dacks_ had something to do with his…well, dacks were quite likely some sort of trousers or pants…

Remus had discussed sex with his father, but somehow, this was different. Will was virtually a stranger and so very…blunt. Remus knew of boys getting hexed for messing around with the younger sisters of older students. Brothers could be quite protective of their little sisters, but somehow, he never expected to get a threatening talk from anyone. He supposed he had never really expected to be involved with a girl seriously enough to have anyone feel the _need _to threaten him.

The train started to inch forward and the conductor shouted for "all aboard!"

"I have to go," Remus said.

"Just remember what I told you." Will's jaw was set sternly. He clearly wasn't joking.

"I will." How on earth could he forget it? Remus turned, rushed to the nearest entrance and climbed onboard. He needed to get to the prefect compartment for the meeting before he was late. He'd find his friends later, though he hoped Peter wouldn't think Will had shoved him under the train when he didn't show up until after his patrol.

After a brief meeting, Remus did a quick walk through the train, although his mind was more focused on the talk he'd just been given than on patrolling. He finally spotted Peter through the door of one of the last compartments.

"There you are," said Peter as Remus opened the door. "Where've you been?"

"I had to go to the prefect meeting, remember? Where are James and Sirius?" Remus settled into the seat across from Peter.

"They went to help Aidan Lynch. You know, that scrawny first year."

"I know Aidan," said Remus, standing up again. He took his suitcase from the luggage rack and set it on the seat. "What did he need help with?"

"Getting his grub back from some Slytherins."

Remus stopped digging through the suitcase and looked up. "Which Slytherins; not Severus Snape?"

"Nah, some fourth or fifth years. Are those Chocolate Blossoms?" Peter slid to the edge of his seat and gestured to the biscuit tin Remus had uncovered.

"Leftover mince pies," Remus said. "Would you like one?"

"Sure."

Removing the lid and taking a pie for himself, Remus then handed the tin to Peter. "How long have they been gone?"

"Ten minutes, maybe," Peter said, after checking his watch. "I hope it isn't getting out of hand."

"That's just what I was thinking," said Remus.

"They'll handle it," Peter said confidently.

"That's what worries me," said Remus. He snapped his suitcase shut.

Peter snickered. "Speaking of worries, what did Chambers want?"

Remus had hoped that wouldn't come up, though he knew his friends better than that. He straightened and slipped the suitcase back onto the rack as he decided how much he would tell. He was distracted by the sounds of raised voices drifting down the passageway, quickly growing louder. Remus couldn't tell what they were saying, but soon, James came into view and pushed the door open.

"I just can't believe you're going to report us for this, when you know it wasn't our fault," he said, sounding mildly annoyed.

When Lily Evans walked into the compartment, Remus understood why James was only mildly annoyed. Normally, Remus would expect James to be livid if he was being reported for something, especially if he didn't believe he deserved it. Hopefully, it was also because what he was being reported for wasn't all that bad.

"Not your fault? _You_ hexed him! Whose fault would it be if not yours?" Lily said.

"Bertram's—" said Sirius, following her in. "For being a twit and a greedy pig to boot." He flopped onto the seat next to Peter and took one of the mince pies. "Hi, Moony."

Remus gave him a wave as James pulled the door closed, continuing his argument with Lily. "Exactly, Bertram was tormenting a first year. We were just trying to defend a fellow Gryffindor. Wouldn't you have done the same thing? I would have thought you'd _approve_, not write us up for it."

"_Approve_?" said Lily, taking the seat next to Remus. "Approve of you hexing someone over a handful of sweets? Aubrey Bertram's head is twice its normal size! I just hope it stops growing before we get to Hogwarts and Madam Pomfrey can fix it."

"Bertram'll be fine," said Sirius. "So long as he stays put and doesn't try to walk around and lose his balance. And maybe he's learned his lesson."

"Yeah," said James, finally dropping onto the seat next to Lily.

She sighed heavily. "You two are hopeless."

"Then why bother reporting it? McGonagall's going to give us detention you know?" James said.

Lily looked incredulous. "Because his head is _twice its normal size_! I _have_ to report it. You can't expect me to let you get away with something like that, even if he is a twit. The Slytherins who saw you do it certainly won't expect me to let it go."

"No, I guess not," James said. There was a small, contented smile forming on his lips as he leaned across and took the tin from the seat between Sirius and Peter. "No hard feelings then." He offered the tin and Lily took a pie. Sirius simply smirked.

Remus was contemplating James's smile when Sirius said, "So, Moony, what did Chambers want?"

_Crap…couldn't Sirius have argued with Lily a little more?_ Remus didn't really relish the thought of telling _anyone_ about their conversation (one-sided though it was), but he really didn't feel comfortable discussing the fact that he'd basically been told to keep his hands off of Lindi in front of Lily. Just thinking about it, he could feel his face going red. "Nothing really; Lindi just told him we were dating and he recognized me."

"It didn't look like _nothing_ to me," said Lily, looking at him shiftily. "I saw him poking you."

_Oh, blimey_… "Oh, well, he, er—he was just, erm—"

"Giving you the 'no-funny-business' talk?" Lily said, starting to grin.

"The what?" Of course, Remus knew what, but he couldn't believe he was having this conversation with Lily.

"The 'no-funny-business' talk," Lily repeated. "You know; keep your hands to yourself, treat her like a lady. That's what my dad tells any boys who come _courting _–Dad's word, not mine—for me or Petunia. I overheard him telling Vernon when he first took Petunia out. It was horribly awkward."

"Arghh," James groaned. "I got that from Mary Pleming's father when we went out last summer."

Surprise showed in Lily's face. _Or was it something else?_ Remus wondered. "You went out with Mary Pleming, the Ravenclaw?" she asked.

"For a while over the summer, yeah," said James.

"And ol man Pleming gave you a talk?" Peter snorted, looking incredibly amused.

"Oh, yeah," said James. "He even threatened me, I think. Told me all about this great uncle of his who'd spent a few years in Azkaban for cursing a bloke he caught with his daughter—something about a _withering_ curse."

James raised his eyebrows significantly and made a face. All the boys instinctively grimaced.

"Bloody hell!" cried Peter. "Is that why you broke up with her?"

"Nah, I told you why," said James.

"Now I'm intrigued," said Lily.

"It's nothing particularly interesting," said James. The look on Lily's face indicated that she thought otherwise, so James gave a bit more information. "We got into an argument, that's all."

"About what?" Lily pressed.

James' eyes seemed to be smiling behind his glasses. "Why do you care?" he asked, his voice going a bit husky.

"Well, I don't—not particularly. It's just something to talk about, isn't it? You brought it up."

Remus hadn't seen it happen often, but Lily was actually a bit flustered. For a moment, he thought she might get up to leave. James must have been worried about the same thing.

"Quidditch," he said quickly.

Lily blinked. "_Quidditch_? You broke up with a girl over a Quidditch dispute?" she asked, looking as though she thought this quite ridiculous. "Didn't she like your team or something?"

"It was her attitude about Quidditch in general," James said, a bit defensively. "Basically, she said I was a pillock for liking it. Now, you don't have to like Quidditch, but don't say it's stupid for me to."

Lily held up her hands in surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said. "I like Quidditch."

Once again, Remus owed James for changing an uncomfortable subject. Of course, James seemed quite happy to have done it, since he was actually conversing with Lily. They proceeded to discuss Quidditch for the next few minutes until Celia Keller showed up at their compartment.

"Oy, Lily, Hal's looking for you. He said to tell you he'd be in the prefects' compartment."

Lily made a quick check of her watch. "Oh, dear, I better go. Thanks, Celia."

"No problem. See you lot later."

"Yeah, me too." Lily stood and hurriedly followed Celia down the passage.

"I guess that means she's still seeing McHewn," James said conversationally.

"Sounds like it," said Sirius.

James put on a good show of being disinterested and unfortunately, in order to do so, he refocused the attention on Remus.

"So, you never did say what Chambers wanted. _Was_ it the no-funny-business talk?"

Remus was forced to admit that it was. Then, they proceeded to debate who Chambers thought he was, whether he should mind his own business and if Remus dared take the chance that Will might know where to find the incantation to that Withering Charm.

It gave them all something to talk and joke about. In the end, Remus found that he actually liked Will better than he would have thought, considering he had been humiliated and castigated by the man. Somehow, he really respected him for it. Anyone who felt obligated to look out for Lindi was alright in Remus' view.

Finally, the Hogwarts Express began to slow and Remus could see the tiny station at Hogsmeade coming into sight. They quickly donned their school robes and got ready to get off the train.

As they pulled into the station, Remus noted the absence of Lindi on the platform. He had hoped she'd be waiting so that they might have a few minutes in the carriages back to the castle. The return feast would be starting almost at once and then he would only be able to see her across the Great Hall. However, he didn't really like the thought of her out there alone, in the dark. Not to mention, it was bitterly cold. Still, he found her absence disappointing.

His disappointment abated upon sight of the smile she gave him as she stood waiting just inside the entrance to the castle.

"Welcome back," she said, rushing up to him. Before he had a chance to figure out if he should kiss her or settle for a hug, they were jostled apart by the flood of students pouring in around them.

He took her by the hand and led her towards the staircase, oblivious to his friends around him.

"I wanted to meet you at the station, but Rosmerta wouldn't let me wait by myself," she said.

"Good, you don't need to be out alone—_no one_ does," he added when he saw the look on her face.

"Hiya, Lindi," said Peter, coming up behind them. "Want me to take your bag up to the room for you, Remus?"

"If you don't mind, that would be great, thank you." Remus handed the bag over. "I'll see you at the feast."

He and Lindi weaved their way into the Great Hall and took a seat together at the Ravenclaw table, away from the line of traffic. They only had a short time until Remus would have to go on to his own table, but he wanted to take advantage of every minute.

"How was the trip?" Lindi asked.

"Fine," he said. "Guess who I saw at Kings Cross." He had decided he should tell Lindi he had seen her cousin, in the event Will mentioned it himself.

"Who?"

"Your cousin, Will."

"Really?" Lindi's eyes widened. "What on earth was he doing there?"

"I'm not sure," Remus said. He liked to think that Will being there had been an inconvenient coincidence and not that he had come all the way to the train station just to talk with him. At any rate, Remus wasn't going to tell her Will had been there to warn him off of her, in case she had no idea. There was no sense embarrassing her, as well. "He was talking with a couple of Aurors; at least I think they were Aurors."

"Oh, I bet he was patrolling."

"What exactly does he do? He isn't an Auror, is he?"

"No, he's on the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, although, he's trying to get into Auror training."

"He's a Hit Wizard?" _Oh, brilliant…I have a Hit Wizard threatening me if he thinks I mistreat her. _Of course, Remus had no intention of mistreating her in any way, but there was always the issue of finally telling her about the lycanthropy…Now he had to worry about how Will would react, as if how Lindi might react wasn't worrisome enough by itself.

"Yes," Lindi said, frowning. "He was on the Australian Minister for Magic's security detail before the British Ministry recruited him, thanks to this _Voldemort_ mess," she lowered her voice a bit when she said the name, just as Peter and his mother had done. "I'm so glad he's closer, but I'd feel a lot better if he wasn't doing something so dangerous." She stared blankly, lost in thought for a time.

Remus could feel her anxiety. He wondered if it had gotten significantly more intense after the altercation with Fenrir Greyback. If it hadn't, it should have. They needed to have a talk about what had actually happened at the pub, but now wasn't the time. The feast would be starting any minute.

"Well, he was fine when I saw him," he said. She finally smiled again.

"Did you have a chance to talk or was it just in passing?" she asked.

"Yes, we had a few minutes," Remus said, hoping desperately that she wouldn't ask what they had discussed.

"That's good. He said he wanted to get to know you, when I told him we were going out. He sort of got the wrong impression about you in Hogsmeade," Lindi said, delicately. "But I straightened it all out."

"Oh, really?" Remus nearly laughed at the irony. "Thank you. It was still a bit embarrassing, since I had made such an arse of myself."

"He didn't say anything, did he?" Lindi looked suddenly anxious.

"Nothing inappropriate," Remus said. "He seems like a nice fellow."

With that, Lindi beamed and the issue of the no-funny-business talk had been safely skirted. The Great Hall was nearly filled and the staff had taken its seats at the High Table.

"I better get to the Gryffindor table," he said, standing. "Can I walk you back to your house after the feast?"

"I hoped you would," she said, with a coy smile that told him all he needed to know.

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The second term of sixth year started off with one hellacious day of classes. Transfiguration was rapidly becoming one of Remus' more difficult courses, as it was for most of his classmates, with the exception of his three friends. It came very naturally to both James and Sirius. Even Peter seemed to have an uncanny knack for it, which was not surprising considering he was already a skilled Animagus.

Human Transfiguration did not come easily for the vast majority, though. Currently, Professor McGonagall was trying to get everyone to change their hair style and color, as hair was the least dangerous thing to alter and the easiest to correct if something went wrong.

"If all else fails, we can simply remove it," Professor McGonagall had said, as though being bald would not be traumatic at all. "It _will_ grow back." Obviously, she didn't care about James' boggart, as she left them to practice when she was summoned to the Headmaster's office.

Fortunately for James, he was remarkably gifted. He spent the morning lazily going from purple spiked-hair to a coiffure fit for Marie-Antoinette and just about everything in between. For him, this was clearly no more difficult than it had been to turn a matchstick into a needle in their first year.

At first, it had been entertaining and impressive, but after a while, James' showing off became annoying to Remus and probably some of the others who were having far less success. Even Sirius, who was as good at the Transfiguration as James, grew tired of the showboating.

"You know, I have to wonder why your real hair always looks like a Transfiguration gone wrong when you're that good at changing it," he said.

"Well, I can't be bothered with that. Besides, I wouldn't want to take your title as the pretty boy, now would I?" James shot back as he transformed his hair to look much like Sirius'.

Sirius gave him a rude hand gesture and laughed.

"We wouldn't want you to have to be _bothered_," Remus said as he struggled just to get his hair a shade darker than it was. "I can see what a strain it is for you."

"Aww, are you having trouble, Moony?" James teased. "Shall I help?"

Before Remus could argue, James had flourished his wand and Remus' hair looked more like Hagrids'. It was even sprouting from his face, including out his nose. Fortunately for Remus, transfiguring other people was somehow easier than doing it on oneself. He waved his own wand and James' nose looked more like a cucumber, complete with warty-looking knots. Sometimes, James' arrogance was simply too provoking to let go. James' pride was also too strong to abide the amused snorting from Peter and Sirius and he quickly retaliated. In no time, half the class was involved in a hexing battle, while the rest took cover under their desks, cheering the duelers on. It was in the midst of the chaos that Professor McGonagall returned. She was not happy.

"I would have thought that I could leave my NEWT students for _five minutes _without worrying that they could not control themselves! Clearly that was giving you _far_ too much credit!" she raged.

The Marauders were given a detention and the entire class received massive amounts of homework.

As if the morning hadn't started off badly enough, Remus was given a particularly complicated translation for Ancient Runes. Worst of all, he had an afternoon of Double Potions. Granted, he got to spend a double period working beside Lindi, who had traded seats with Lily so they could sit together, but it was also twice as much time to humiliate himself in front of her. It was becoming more and more evident that the level of difficulty in NEWT Potions was too much for Remus, but quitting just wasn't in his nature. He would do his best to survive the class until the end of term. Then, he would never torture himself this way again, even if he did have to sacrifice sitting next to Lindi.

It was a relief when the final bell of the day rang and classes were finished. Unfortunately, he had that bloody detention to do and would not be able to join Lindi in the library after dinner as they had planned.

It was the following evening before Remus finally had a chance to see her outside of class for more than a few minutes. Thanks to his detention, he was already falling behind in his class work—and it was only the second day of term. Fortunately, Lindi enjoyed the library and had plenty of her own work to do, so she was happy to join him. The hours seemed to fly by. Remus had always enjoyed researching projects and papers, but it was even more interesting in Lindi's company. When the librarian finally shooed them out at eight, they were shocked that it had gotten so late, though neither had completed all their assignments. Still, Remus was happy to take a break and looked forward to a chance to talk freely with Lindi.

They hauled their books and supplies to the Great Hall and took a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Remus had been tempted to suggest they find a classroom that was unoccupied, but he knew he had to get his work caught up and being alone with Lindi might have proved too much of a distraction. By using the Great Hall to work together, there would be far less temptation to put off their studies. There was a scattering of small groups throughout the cavernous room, but Remus and Lindi managed to get far enough away to have the bit of privacy they needed. After all, they hadn't had a chance to talk about anything more personal than Remus' ineptitude at Potions all evening and he really wanted to find out about the things Lindi had mentioned in her letter over the holidays.

"Tell me more about that incident at the Three Broomsticks, with Fenrir Greyback," he said rather abruptly after they had settled at the table.

"Did you read the article in the _Daily Prophet_?" Lindi asked.

"Yes, but they didn't really go into great detail." In fact, there had been a curious lack of information and eye witness accounting in the paper. Instinct and experience suggested to Remus that no one was willing to discuss it with the reporter. No doubt they feared some sort of reprisal from Greyback. "You said in your letter that he was awful. What did he do—I know he hurt that man, but I got the impression you were talking about something else?" Remus had nearly memorized the letter and he felt sure she hadn't been talking about the fight when she'd said Greyback had been _vulgar_ and _embarrassing_.

Lindi shrugged and looked uneasy. "He just said things and acted…just _crude,_ you know?"

"I'm not sure I do," Remus said. He didn't want to force her to discuss something she was obviously uncomfortable about, but he really needed to know. Unfortunately, what she would tell him offered him no peace of mind.

"He just did things, like—like licking his lips and saying things about—_likinghismeattender_," she mumbled, then grimaced with distaste. "Things like that."

That sounded exactly like something Remus would expect Greyback to do or say. "Did he say anything to _you_, specifically?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. _Dammit_… She looked everywhere but into his eyes, clearly embarrassed, but he wondered if she was also frightened.

It was not good to be noticed by Greyback.

"What did you do?" Remus asked.

"Nothing. I didn't know what to do, so I just walked away."

"Did he say anything after that?"

"Not to me. I heard him laughing with his friends and then Rosmerta had me work in the kitchen for a while. She's really afraid of him, I think."

"With good reason," Remus said with a hollow voice, thinking about the ramifications of what he was learning. He struggled to remain composed. "What exactly happened with the fight?"

"I was in the kitchen when it actually started. Janice told me about the drunkard bumping into him. He apparently went wild. He would have killed that man if he hadn't been stopped. I've never seen so much blood." She grimaced again and shivered. "It was the first time I've ever questioned whether I could handle being a Healer."

"You're going to be a wonderful Healer," Remus assured her. Lindi smiled rather weakly at the compliment. He almost hated to continue with the gloomy discussion, but he needed to know. "So, who actually stopped Greyback?"

"It was Will who finally hexed him."

_Dammit!_

Remus had been afraid of that. He had hoped it was one of the Aurors she had mentioned in her letter. Not that he wished Greyback's ire on anyone, but he couldn't stand the thought that Lindi might now be a target.

"I wonder if he knows that," Remus said more to himself than Lindi.

She shrugged again. "Rosmerta's worried that he does. I think she's really worried about Will. Apparently, Greyback is known to harbor grudges."

"Yes, he does. He is also known to take revenge," Remus said, automatically.

Fear bloomed in her eyes. "Do you think he would go after Will?"

Remus hesitated. What should he tell her? He didn't want to frighten her to death, but he didn't want her taking all this too lightly either. The fact was that this _was_ frightening—horrifying, really. He was surprised that Rosmerta or Will apparently hadn't fully warned her about Greyback's history and the danger he possibly posed. However, knowing Lindi, now that she was curious, she would be researching Greyback and discover his methods for herself, so Remus might as well tell her.

"I think Will should be on his guard. Of course, in this day and age, _everyone _should be on their guard," he added to lessen the blow when her eyes grew ever more fearful. He hesitated again. How far should he go? _She needs to know_. Remus looked at her pointedly and spoke with great care. "But Greyback doesn't always go after the person who offends him. He seems to prefer getting them back by hurting the people they care about, preferably their children."

Lindi's fear turned to mortification.

"Will doesn't have any, does he?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, completely appalled. "He's not married."

"I thought not. Lindi, you need to be extra conscious of where you go and what you do—especially during the full moon." Remus hated having to go into this. It would surely draw her attention to the fact that he was gone over the full moon, but there was no helping it. He could not bear it if Greyback harmed her. "You have to stay inside where it's safe. You always needed to, but now, it's even more important."

"Me?" Her brow furrowed in consternation. "Why me?"

"You're part of Will's family. Rosmerta should be on her guard too."

"But—he can't blame Will for stopping him killing that man over nothing. That's crazy."

"Fenrir Greyback is not noted for being reasonable."

Her chin began to quiver. "You think that—that m-man might come after me?" There was absolute horror in her eyes.

"I think it's possible," he said gently.

Her eyes began to water and she shook more noticeably. Had he gone too far? Remus took her by the shoulders to calm her. "Don't cry, Lindi. I'm not trying to frighten you."

But he _was,_ to a degree. He felt horrible about it, though.

"Well you're doing a good j-job of it." Tears welled up as she clearly struggled against them.

"I'm sorry, Lindi. Please don't cry," Remus said, deciding that perhaps he _had _gone too far. "You just need to be careful, just to be on the safe side."

"Oh, Remus, I'm frightened. You should have seen what he d-did to that man, with his b-bare hands. _Oooo_," she groaned and grabbed hold of him, burying her face into his shoulder so that he couldn't understand what else she was saying.

One of the benches at another table screeched on the floor, making Lindi jump. Remus had succeeded in thoroughly fraying her nerves, not that it took much where Lindi was concerned. She looked around, only then seeming to notice that they weren't alone. Dabbing at her still watering eyes, she pulled away.

"Come on; let's go for a walk," he said, sliding the bench back and standing. He reached for her shaking hand.

She regained her composure and kept it until they had cleared the Great Hall and made it across the Entrance Hall, down the stairs and past the Hufflepuff corridor, anywhere people were wandering the passages. Once they were in the deserted hallway leading to the kitchens, however, the floodgate burst.

"Ahh, Lindi, please don't cry," he said desperately, wrapping her in his arms once more and silently berating himself for being so direct with her. Yes, he wanted her to be aware of the danger, but he didn't want to make her miserable.

"W-why is this hap-p-pening?"

"It hasn't happened," he said soothingly. "It probably won't. I don't think Greyback will actually—"

"Not just G-greyback," she gasped. "_Everything_!"

"What do you mean?" He held her back so he could see her face. Had something else happened to her? Was this about whatever Malfoy had done that she'd mentioned in the letter?

"All the things that are h-happening, all those M-Muggles that were killed, and th-that wizard that disappeared last week, Hilda's b-brother, that whole f-f-family…" She buried her face back into his shoulder and wept.

_So_, Lindi hadn't been as oblivious as he had feared. It had just taken a while for the pressure to finally build to the breaking point.

"Because there are bad people in the world," he answered, squeezing her securely.

"Well I d-don't l-like it. I want it t-to stop," she sobbed.

A weary smile sneaked across his face at the childlike innocence of her statement. _Oh, if it were only that simple_… "Me too," he said, for lack of a better response.

He held her tightly as she cried, grieving for the people who had been harmed, the ones that likely would be, but probably most of all, for the loss of carefree days and innocence. Their world had changed while they had been safe within the walls of Hogwarts and it was a hard thing to face. Some mornings, upon reading the most recent events in the Daily Prophet, Remus felt like mourning for the carefree days, too. Of course, carefree days and innocence had been stolen from him many years before, but once he had found his friends and happiness at Hogwarts, that sense of contentment and lighthearted fun had returned, to a point. He wondered if Lindi felt the same way, considering the losses she had endured in her own life.

Remus let her cry for a time, but the quivering sobs soon slowed and she finally sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry; I don't know why I just fell to pieces like that. I—" She sniffled again and shrugged, apparently not knowing what to say next.

"Don't worry about it, Lindi," Remus said. "I can't blame you after what you had to witness, on top of everything else that's happened recently."

Her eyes started to water again. "It's all everyone was talking about the last few days. It's all over the paper. It's just a mess. Why does it have to happen _now_, when things are finally going so well? I'm finally starting to feel comfortable here. I'm happy at Rosmerta's, Will's nearby, I really love Hogwarts, I'm even starting to figure out Defense Against the Dark Arts, thanks to you," she said, looking up at him wistfully, through the glistening tears. "And—and you and I are together." She gave a quavering sigh. "I don't want anything to mess it up."

"Nor do I," he said, his voice becoming more firm. "So let's not let it. Yes, there are a lot of bad things happening and we can't just ignore them and hope they'll go away, but we don't have to dwell on them either. We can't let it ruin everything. We're safe inside Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore will see to that; I'm certain of it, and hopefully, the Ministry will capture Voldemort and sort all this out before too much longer. And as far as Greyback is concerned, I probably came on a little too strong. I just know how dangerous he is and I want you to respect that danger. But it would be very foolish of him to retaliate against Will, when he's only just been released from Azkaban. He'll know the Ministry is keeping an eye on him and that was a very public altercation. If anything happened to anyone involved, Greyback would be the first suspect and he knows it. He may be unreasonable, but he isn't stupid."

"Are you sure?"

Remus nodded, even though he was probably trying to convince himself as much as Lindi. "Like I said, you just need to be cautious. Don't put yourself in a position that would allow you to get hurt. We _all _have to be careful, but we can't let fear stop us living our lives."

Smiling weakly, she nodded. "You're right. I'm just being hysterical. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing," he said smiling back. A tear streak shimmered down her cheek in the light from the torches lining the wall. He wiped it away letting his hand linger on her smooth warm skin as she looked up at him, her eyes still swimming. He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against her quivering lips. Oh, how he loved being with her.

He prayed nothing would ruin it.

He wrapped his arms around her as she rested her head on his shoulder, still clinging to him for comfort. He really liked it. He loved feeling so wanted and needed.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

Her response was a muffled sniffle and nod. She finally let go of him and wiped her face.

"Well, I know what will make you feel even better," he said. "Come with me."

He took her by the hand and led her down the corridor to the painting of a huge bowl of fruit. The pear giggled and turned into a handle when Remus ran his fingers gingerly across it. Once inside the kitchen, they were greeted by an old house-elf called Fwibble, who was quite fond of the Marauders from their many late night visits. The elf lavished them with attention, treating them as though they were honored guests and seated them at a table near the large fireplace. Of course, all the house-elves Remus had encountered treated everyone with deference, though Sirius assured him that the Black family's house-elf reserved the royal treatment only for certain people, not including _him_, and could be quite insulting when he wanted to be. Fwibble, however, was most accommodating and provided Remus and Lindi with a bowl of truly decadent bread and butter pudding dripping with a steaming drizzle of custard, large enough for them to share.

"_Mmmm_," Lindi hummed, eyes closed as she slid the spoon out of her mouth.

Remus decided that he enjoyed watching and listening to her enjoying the treat more than he liked the actual pudding. When her eyes fluttered open, she caught him gazing at her and smiled, cheeks blushing a lovely shade of pink. He wasn't even embarrassed at getting caught staring at her, this time. After all, they were dating and he felt it was probably allowed.

"I told you this would make you feel better," he said.

"The pudding is scrummy, but I was already feeling better out in the corridor; you managed to do that yourself," she said, batting her eyes.

His stomach seemed to flip completely over from the thrill of her so blatantly flirting with him. Unfortunately, all he could think to do was grin. He felt like a complete berk. Oh, why couldn't he be suave and debonair?

She looked back at the pudding after it became clear that he wasn't going to think of anything charming to say. "Not to mention, I'll need to run round the lake twenty times after this," she said hefting another spoonful to her mouth. "My broomstick won't be able to lift me off the ground. Did James put you up to this?"

Remus grinned. "You don't think I'd try to sabotage you, do you?"

"You better not," she said, smirking playfully. She surely knew that Remus would never do anything that could possibly come between them after all the difficulty they'd endured to get to this point. "Do you know what he's going to make me do—if he wins our bet?"

"No."

"Would you tell me if you did?"

Remus laughed, but said nothing.

"_Aahchh…Men!_" she cried, slapping him lightly on the arm. "I can't believe you'd choose him over your girlfriend."

_Your girlfriend_…Remus certainly liked the sound of that. "Well, I'm not telling _him_ what _you_ have planned, either," he defended himself.

"Fair enough," she said, giggling. "I _suppose_. I wonder what he'll make me do, though. I bet it's something really embarrassing."

Knowing James, Remus felt sure it would be. "You just have to make sure he doesn't win."

"Oh, well, no worries then," Lindi said, sarcastically. "And no more of this either." She pushed the bowl of pudding towards him.

"Speaking of embarrassing, what was all that about Lucius Malfoy in your letter? What was he apologizing for?"

Lindi gave a little grimace. "I was hoping you'd forget that. I realized after I'd sent the letter that you didn't really know what I was talking about, because we weren't really speaking back then."

"What was it?" he asked, more curious than ever.

Her face flushed fuchsia. Whatever it was must have been _very_ embarrassing. "It was just about that incident last fall with Julian—when you hexed him, remember?"

"Yes, I remember? Though you never did say what that was about. What does it have to do with Lucius Malfoy?"

"Well—" She fidgeted nervously. "It was just something Julian said and Mr. Malfoy wanted to apologize for insulting me."

"Malfoy told Julian Avery to tell you something that was insulting?" Remus asked, feeling confused. Remembering Lindi's bloodshot eyes when they'd come back into Professor McGonagall's office that day, Remus thought it must have been _very_ insulting.

"No, not exactly," she said hesitantly.

"Do you not want to tell me?" Remus asked.

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as she struggled to answer. "I don't think I want you to know. It's humiliating."

"Alright, but did you do something humiliating?"

She looked befuddled. "No."

"Then why are you embarrassed?"

"Well—because…"

Remus held his tongue, thinking she might say more. The way she was looking at him made him think she wanted to.

"Because he said some things about me," she finished softly and looked down at her wringing fingers.

"Are they true?"

Her head flew up with a jerk. "No!"

"Then _he's_ the one who should be embarrassed. Lindi, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I hope you don't think I'd laugh or think any less of you because of something _Julian Avery_ said." For a moment, Remus thought she was not going tell him and he really wanted to push her, though he wouldn't. Still, he couldn't stem his curiosity about Lucius Malfoy's role in all this. Ever since he'd witnessed that scene at the Three Broomsticks and the way Malfoy always leered at her, Remus was very suspicious of the man. Not knowing what he was up to was going to drive Remus crazy.

"Julian is an arse," Lindi said. She sighed in a way that told Remus she was about to tell him everything. He waited until she looked up and met his eyes. "He told me they were planning a big stag party for Mr. Malfoy over the holidays. He got married you know?"

"Yes, I read about it on the Society page in the _Prophet_."

"Well, it was going to be a really big to do and they needed—or _wanted_—waitresses to serve, as if house-elves wouldn't be posh enough, I suppose. So Julian said that Mr. Malfoy had told him to ask _me_, since I was an experienced waitress, having worked at the Three Broomsticks and all."

That sounded reasonable to Remus, though he still didn't like that Malfoy had specifically asked for Lindi. Remus felt sure it had little to do with her _waitressing _experience.

"What did you tell him?" Remus asked when she didn't go on.

"I told him I was already working for Rosmerta over the break. I didn't really want to work at a stag party, with all those men, you know? I figured they'd be drinking and—I just didn't think it would be something I wanted to do."

_Good_…Remus didn't want her in the middle of something like that, either.

"What did he say?" Remus asked. He found that he had to prod the conversation along, as Lindi obviously found it discomfiting. He hoped she wouldn't become upset again, the way she had with their earlier conversation. He got the feeling this was more aggravating than upsetting, so he took the risk in order to find out what he wanted to know. So far, there was nothing embarrassing or particularly insulting in the story.

"He told me I could make a lot more money working the party than I would at the pub. He said—"

Remus got the feeling the insulting part was coming up. Lindi frowned and looked at her hands again.

"He said it was a really good opportunity for a girl like me. That there'd be a lot of rich men and if I—if I _worked _it right, I could make more money than I'd ever seen." She glanced up with those big doe eyes that could melt him to the floor. "He wasn't talking about tips for serving drinks," she said, as though he needed clarification.

He felt his nostrils flaring angrily. No wonder she had felt humiliated. It couldn't be easy to tell someone you'd been solicited for prostitution. Remus was suddenly quite pleased with the memory of blasting Avery into the hourglass that day. He had deserved it even more than Remus had thought.

"You're right; Avery is a vulgar arse," Remus said. "And Lucius Malfoy should be arrested. I can hardly believe he had the gall to speak to you after that, but according to Sirius, he has always felt he was entitled to anything he wanted."

"He didn't know Julian was going to do it. He was very embarrassed by the whole thing," Lindi said. _Why would she defend that man? _Remus wondered, but she continued on. "He was really angry with Julian and I think he might have done something to him, because Julian was acting as though he were afraid of Mr. Malfoy. I don't think he'll be such an arse from now on, in any case, so I actually have Mr. Malfoy to thank for that."

"I think you're giving Mr. Malfoy too much credit. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Malfoy had been behind it from the start. You haven't forgotten how he acted towards you last summer, have you? Lucius Malfoy is not a nice man, Lindi. I want you to stay away from him." Remus cringed as soon as the last words left his lips and he saw the look on Lindi's face. Her brow cocked keenly. "I'm sorry, that sounded terribly domineering. It's not my place to tell you what to do."

However, rather than taking offense, she seemed amused and even pleased. "That's alright; I don't mind, but if I didn't know better, I might think you were jealous," she said, with a coy smirk on her face.

He enjoyed her playful taunting, though he didn't really feel that this was a laughing matter. Fortunately, he didn't believe for a moment, that she could be attracted to a man like Lucius Malfoy, even if he was one of the wealthiest, most prominent members of wizarding society. Still, he couldn't shake the concern that Malfoy always seemed to notice her when he was about.

"Should I be?" he asked, matching her lighthearted tone.

Lindi giggled and shook her head. "No—you know I'm teasing you. He does scare me a bit, to be honest, but he was very contrite about all that with Julian, so I don't think you need to worry. Besides, he's a married man, now. I doubt he'll be around much anymore."

Remus hoped that would be the case, but he had his own doubts. From what he could tell of the Malfoy's, the marriage might only make him more discreet in his dealings. Married or not, Remus did not trust the man.

However, he didn't want to push the subject. It was starting to get very late and they still needed to gather their things from the Great Hall before curfew. With a quick thank you to Fwibble, they hurried off. Their plans to finish their homework would have to be postponed until the next day. Remus had known they would be distracted if they let themselves be alone, though the distraction hadn't been exactly what he'd expected—or hoped. Still, he had needed to know the things he'd learned, and was satisfied with the way things had turned out.

He was especially satisfied while they lingered outside Ravenclaw Tower saying their goodnights, though it became quite evident that Will needn't worry about Remus and Lindi _putting on a show_ like the one he'd witnessed between Remus and Celia. Remus was beginning to think the Ravenclaws would never stop passing by on their way back into their dormitory. After having Lindi pull away every time someone entered the corridor, he finally dragged her around a corner where he succeeded in getting an actual goodnight kiss. Suddenly, all thoughts of Malfoy, Death Eaters, Voldemort, and even Greyback were banished from his mind.


	45. Almost Perfect

**Chapter 45 Almost Perfect**

It might have been possible for Remus to pretend that the world was perfect, but for the ever-present headlines of doom and gloom in the _Daily Prophet_ each morning. At times, he was sorely tempted to discontinue his subscription to the paper. He did not want to read tales of loss and violence, sadness and fear, when he was so very happy.

Of course, he wouldn't cancel the subscription.

Remus understood the importance of being well informed. In times like these, what you didn't know might well hurt you—or those you cared about. He glanced across the hall to where Lindi sat, finishing her own breakfast and smiling at something Leanna was telling her. Tearing his eyes away, he pushed his plate, nearly full of fried potatoes and a half-eaten banger aside and reached for his copy of the _Prophet_. His appetite was weak as the full moon approached.

_The full moon_…yet another thing he couldn't ignore and expect to go away.

But he didn't want to think of that. He hated the guilt that bubbled up inside him whenever he did. He looked back over at Lindi. He watched her open a book, show Leanna something in it and start talking excitedly. Not for the first time, and he hoped with all his might not for the last, he wondered how on earth, he, Remus Lupin, a werewolf, had ever gotten so lucky.

_Because she doesn't know!_ The miserable thought flitted through his mind before he could quell it.

_You don't know that,_ he argued with himself. He knew that this resurgence in anxiety stemmed from the coming full moon.

Things were going amazingly well with Lindi since their return to school. But now, as the inevitable night drew near, he worried. This would be the first full moon he would endure since he and Lindi had begun dating. Even though he was comfortable with the decision he'd made about not telling her just yet, he was still absolutely miserable about lying to her. Lies of omission were one thing, but looking her in the eye and intentionally telling her something that was untrue somehow weighed much more heavily on his conscience. To make matters worse, he was nearly petrified she'd discover the lies before he was ready to tell her the truth or more importantly, before _she_ was ready to hear it.

_And then what_?

He simply hated to think about it, though it would be foolish not to. After all, Lindi was no fool.

Across the hall, she was pulling a scrap of parchment from her book. She smoothed it out and began zealously scribbling something on it. The thought that it would be completely illegible nearly brought a smile to his face and was almost enough to distract him from his previous thoughts, but not quite. Bright as she was, how long could it be before she put two and two together?

His friends were quick to point out that he had managed to conceal the secret for five and a half years, even from those living in close proximity to him within Gryffindor House.

"Trust me, Moony. It's not _nearly_ as obvious as you feel it is," James had assured him the night before, while they made their plans for this month's moonlit adventure.

Remus knew James must have been right or someone would have surely found out by now. Of course, Remus had never had a girlfriend that might wonder where he was during a transformation before. That was one of the reasons he had spent the previous evening in the dormitory with his friends, deciding what they wanted to do for the full moon, rather than in the library with Lindi. He forced himself to stay away from her from time to time so that his upcoming absence over the full moon would not seem unusual. Of course, he had _wanted_ to spend the time with his friends. Remus thoroughly enjoyed the Marauders' excursion planning. It was one of his favorite things in the world, after all.

So while it would have been easy to let himself spend every waking moment with Lindi at this point in their relationship, he knew that it wasn't a good idea. He knew this was a bad idea for any number of reasons, not the least of which was it making his absence over the full moon glaringly obvious to her, but even more importantly, he would be alienating himself from his friends. He would never be able to stand that.

Fortunately, he didn't have to choose between the friends who had meant the world to him and the girl of his dreams. Everything truly was working out more perfectly than Remus could have hoped. Lindi seemed to understand and respect his desire to do things with just his mates. It was also a great relief to him that she and his friends seemed to get along quite well, even if he could still sense a slight lingering tension between her and Sirius.

Actually, they were all getting along so well that she was going to spend the day with them in Hogsmeade on Saturday, while he pretended to visit his grandparents to celebrate his grandfather's ninetieth birthday. That was the excuse he had given her as cover for the transformation. She believed that the Lupins were having a family get-together, since he hadn't been able to see his grandparents over the Christmas break, due to their visit to Australia.

Lindi hadn't seemed to notice how agonizing it had been for Remus to deceive her, believing his story without a single hint of doubt.

_He_ was a very good liar, after all.

She had also unquestioningly accepted his insistence that she be back from Hogsmeade and in the castle before sunset that day, never once seeming to find it suspicious that he just happened to have plans on the full moon.

"_You_ be careful and have fun with your family. Don't worry about me," she had assured him. "I plan to be in the Floo all evening with Will, to make sure _he's_ alright. I already told him to expect me."

Knowing of her plans with Will and that his friends would be keeping an eye on her until she was safely back in Hogwarts allowed him to dread the coming day much less. He hated that he would not be able to join them in the village, but the last train to London left at one and he would have to be on it (at least she had to think so). He felt sure she would want to see him off, so he had told her he was taking the early train.

If only he was seventeen and could Apparate, he could have gone with them for a while. Unfortunately, his birthday was still more than a month away.

James had offered the Invisibility Cloak so that Remus could join them secretly, but that would have been awkward. He would have felt like a stalker or something.

Remus accepted that he would have to be content knowing that Lindi was having fun with his friends. That wasn't difficult, really. He was very happy that they were all getting along.

Yes, as he watched her across the room, he felt that, if not for the troubles in the outside world and the _inconvenience _of being a werewolf, life was practically perfect.

"Oy, Remus! Are you going to read that? Or are you going to sit there staring at Lindi all morning?"

Remus refocused his eyes to just across the table where James sat smirking at him, nodding in the direction of the paper. Peter's snigger rose up from beside him and Remus didn't even bother to look at Sirius who was seated next to James. He didn't want to acknowledge the condescending roll of Sirius' eyes or the hopeless shake of his head that he could see all too clearly with his peripheral vision.

"By all means, keep staring if you like," James quipped, "but let me have the Quidditch section, will you? They're supposed to announce where the European Cup is going to be held this summer."

Remus opened the paper, pulled the Quidditch page out and handed it to James without a word. This was one of those times when it was best to let a topic drop. He couldn't exactly deny that he had been staring when he'd been caught outright. In order to avoid further humiliation, he turned back to the front page and began perusing the headlines. Most of the front page was filled with a picture of a large, burly man cheering from a team box along the sidelines of a Quidditch pitch. Above it was the headline:

_**Manager of Puddlemere United Vanishes**__-see page one of Quidditch section for full details_

Remus glanced over at James. The reflection of the same headline was glinting off of James's glasses as his eyes quickly scanned the story. With each line he read, the furrow between James's brows grew deeper. Remus looked back to his own part of the paper, knowing that James would fill them in when he'd finished.

_Ah, wonderful…even more good news_, Remus thought as he glimpsed the smaller headline in the lower left corner.

_**Fenrir Greyback Not Guilty**_

Remus studied the short, rather sparse-on-details article. According to the reporter, Greyback had been cleared of charges stemming from the attack at the Three Broomsticks. Unnamed eyewitnesses had corroborated Greyback's account that the victim had started the fight by dumping the drink on him and his companions.

That made it sound as if the man had poured the drink on Greyback intentionally. If that was the testimony given, it didn't fit with what Lindi had told Remus. He wondered who the eyewitnesses were and figured that they had probably been coerced into distorting the facts. He also wondered if Will had been called as a witness. Had he been pressured into giving false testimony? Will didn't seem the type to be bullied, but had Greyback threatened Lindi if Will refused?

Remus was distracted by the next headline

_**Group Protests Greyback Release**_

The words _anti-werewolf_ leapt out at him and he read this article even more carefully.

_A group of anti-werewolf protesters demonstrated outside the Ministry of Magic yesterday, calling for increased restrictions on werewolves following the release of werewolf Fenrir Greyback earlier in the day. _

_Greyback, who was released last November, after a five year sentence in Azkaban for previous attacks, was exonerated from charges of attempted murder stemming from an altercation that occurred December 31__st__ at the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade and left Holbert Boozman, 28, fighting for his life. _

_Outrage over the verdict of not guilty spread quickly among friends and family of the victim and others who believe that werewolves pose a very real threat to the community even when in their human forms. _

"_I don't care what Newt Scamander says. A normal person doesn't do that to another human being," insists Milton Boozman, 32, brother of the victim. "Holbert looks like he's been through a meat grinder and it wasn't even full moon. They're not safe anytime, werewolves!"_

_But what would the protesters suggest to solve the problem? A petition is being circulated demanding that a law be passed requiring all werewolves to be interred in a reservation/camp that would be located away from normal society. _

_However, a spokesman for the Wizengamot had this to say. "After due consideration of the evidence presented and the testimony of eyewitnesses to the alleged crime, Mr. Greyback has been cleared of the charges by due process."_

_So, do the protesters have a case?_

"_Due process my ----!" argued Felton Leary, 48, one of the protesters. "Somebody took care of those so-called eyewitnesses. They were either scared off or bought off—and the judge, too!"_

_These are serious accusations and we at the Daily Prophet wish to make clear that we are only presenting the opinions expressed by others. However, a Ministry official, speaking on condition of strictest anonymity, has confirmed that an investigation is being launched into the possibility of witness tampering and judicial misconduct._

_We'll keep you posted on the situation as information becomes available._

Remus folded the paper, laying it on the table and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He wished he had just gone on staring at Lindi and pretending that life was perfect.

"Something wrong, Moony?" Peter asked. Before Remus could respond, James interrupted.

"_Blimey_," he breathed, lowering the Quidditch section of the paper. "Arden Strongfellow has probably been abducted." James looked as though this was extraordinary, which was a bit strange in light of the many recent abductions and disappearances. "They think the Death Eaters took him."

"Why would they go after a Quidditch manager?" Peter asked.

"Well, he's Muggleborn," said Sirius.

"And he's recruited more Muggleborn players than any other team in the league," James added. "They're putting private security details on all their Muggleborn players and they promise that security will be very high at all the matches. According to this—" James lifted the paper for emphasis, "they're trying to persuade people to come out. Apparently, advance ticket sales are way down. Oh, and Wales lost the bid to host the European Cup. They say it's because of security issues. It'll be in France instead. _Blast it! _They just had it six years ago!" James slammed the paper on the table. "This Voldemort mess has gotten well out of hand!" he said through clenched teeth. "Something has to be done!"

"Well, you can't do anything about it right now," said Peter. "If we don't get to Transfiguration, McGonagall's going to get out of hand."

"_Urghh_," Sirius groaned, pushing away from the table. "I don't want to go to class. It might be different if we were learning something I don't already know, but it's so bloody boring. I can't wait till tomorrow night."

"Wish I could say the same," Remus said, gathering up his _Prophet_. He noticed that Lindi was waiting for him at the door. "Would one of you mind fetching my bag for me and bringing it to class? I need to talk to Lindi."

Sirius made a facetious _Pshhing_ noise. "Listen to him. He spends one whole evening away from her and he _needs_ to talk to her already."

"Well, a man does have _needs_, Padfoot," James said, feigning earnest.

"Yeah, but I don't think _talking_ is one of them," Sirius said.

Remus didn't have time for the innuendo. "It's about Greyback. He's been released."

The rakish grin vanished from Sirius' face and he glanced up to where Lindi waved for them to get a move on. Remus had told them of the incident at the Three Broomsticks, of course.

"Is the Ministry _completely_ worthless?" James spat, starting to walk again. "Here they have the perfect opportunity to get that madman off the streets!"

"You'd think they'd at least wait a couple more days, until after the full moon, wouldn't you?" said Peter.

"I'll bring your bag," said Sirius, now looking rather sullen.

"Thanks. Be careful of the handle. It's loose," Remus said.

"No problem."

The three said their good mornings to Lindi as they passed her, leaving Remus alone to walk with her to their classes.

Unfortunately, Lindi had History of Magic first period and it was at the opposite end of the castle from Transfiguration, so he would escort her only as far as the first floor.

"Did you see the article on Greyback?" he asked.

"No, what did it say?"

Remus told her about the report of the trial. They stood at the foot of the stairs that would lead him on to his class as he finished the story. "He got off."

She shook her head, dumbfounded. "I can't believe they let him off. What does someone have to do to get convicted?"

"I was surprised too, especially considering his previous record. Some seem to think the trial was fixed, either by threatening the witnesses or buying people off." Remus shrugged and gave her the paper so she could read it for herself when she had a chance. He wished he could edit out the anti-werewolf parts, but he couldn't edit them out of life, so she might as well try to get used to it. "I figured Will would have been called, but it doesn't' mention him. Of course, it doesn't give any names, really."

"I thought he'd have to testify, too," Lindi said, looking troubled. "I'll be sure to ask him about it when I talk to him tomorrow night."

"That's good, but now, we better get to class."

The corridors had finally cleared and they were just getting ready to make their departures when a clatter of footsteps echoed down the hallway from the Great Hall. Severus Snape, Evan Rosier and Gavin Wilkes, another sixth year Slytherin, came into view, hurrying around the corner and Lindi abruptly pulled back.

"_Ooooo,_ bad luck, Lupin!" Wilkes called. "But _you_ can thank us later, Lindi. Another minute and you might have had to snog him." He made an exaggerated grimace and shiver.

Rosier and Snape sniggered.

Lindi's mouth fell open slightly and she started to sputter a bit.

"Don't worry about it, Lindi," Remus said softly.

But she clearly _was_ worried about it. "Don't be so—so _rude_, Gavin," she finally said, probably embarrassed for Remus more than herself. "Why don't you go on to class and—and mind your own business."

"_Aww_, that's so harsh, Lindi." Wilkes grabbed his robes over his chest as if he'd been wounded. "I'm sorry if I hurt your little boyfriend's feelings. I certainly don't want to be _rude_. I guess I should have waited until he was gone, so you wouldn't feel the need to deny it."

Lindi sputtered again as her face turned red.

"Forget it, Lindi." Remus turned to the Slytherins. "_Don't_ you need to get to class?"

"Don't _you_? Or better yet, don't you need to get to the infirmary?" Severus snarled. "What's the matter with you; you look like death warmed over? It's nothing contagious I hope."

Remus didn't like the accusatory look in Snape's black eyes, but he forced a benign smile.

"You should be more careful, Dellington," said Wilkes. "You might catch something nasty."

"We might have saved you from a fate worse than having to snog him," said Rosier.

"Stop it!" said Lindi. "There's nothing wrong with him. He just didn't get enough sleep."

Remus' stomach felt a little queasy and not because of the impending full moon. While he appreciated her coming to his defense, he absolutely hated that she felt the need to. _You might as well get used to it,_ he thought morosely. _It will only get worse if…_

"Wearing him out already, Lindi?" Evan said, waggling his brow suggestively. "You really need a man who can keep up with you."

Remus had his wand drawn before he realized he was doing it. The Slytherins looked at it warily and Snape made a move.

"Don't!" Remus pointed the wand at Snape and he froze. "This has gone on long enough. You lot need to move on, but first—" Remus pointed the wand at Rosier. "_You_ are going to apologize to Lindi, for being a vulgar git."

Rosier stared back for an instant, clearly debating if it was worth a fight. He chose to offer Remus a twisted smile and turned his attention to Lindi. "I'm sorry if I offended _you_. I didn't mean anything by it. I only meant to point out what a shame it is for you to waste your time with the likes of _him_. I've told you before that you can do _sooo_ much better."

Lindi looked mortified as her mouth opened and closed, unable to form words. She turned and gazed into Remus' face as though she were checking to see if he was going to put up with the _apology _or start crying. He forced a slight smile to assure her he was perfectly alright with it. Evan had apologized to Lindi as Remus had demanded. Of course, he had used the apology to further insult Remus, but as insults went, the Slytherin was being relatively tame compared to some things Remus had heard. Not to mention, Evan was correct about Lindi being able to do better. No one knew that more surely than Remus.

Lindi must have seen the painful admission in Remus' smile. After an instant of what could have been sympathy, a determined look shone in her eyes. The next thing Remus knew, she had grabbed him by the front of his robes and pulled him into a fierce kiss.

The altercation with the Slytherins and the fact that he was about to be late to Transfiguration was wiped from his mind as surely as if she were using _Obliviate_.

Sadly, she let him go just as abruptly as she'd kissed him, giving the Slytherins a defiant look. Remus was almost dizzy for a moment, as if she'd sucked all the oxygen from his brain. Lindi had never kissed him quite like that before and certainly not in front of anyone. She had clearly set out to prove that she didn't mind _having_ to snog him. Remus couldn't help himself when he looked over and smiled stupidly at the three sneering Slytherins. _He_ was the one that should thank them, but they turned and headed down the corridor before he could, one of them muttering something to the effect of "what a waste."

Remus glanced back at Lindi. The defiant look slid away immediately and she looked rather stunned, as if she couldn't quite believe what she'd just done. He knew exactly how she felt. She peered up at him, a pained expression on her face. She seemed to shrink a bit. "I'm sorry, Remus," she practically squeaked.

"Whatever for?" he asked, still floating a bit.

"For—" She reached out and smoothed down the front of his robes where she had twisted them into her fists. "Well, they just made me so—_angry_! I didn't mean to embarrass you."

The laugh escaped him. "Lindi, you can embarrass me like that anytime you want."

Of course, from the red glow coming off of her and the way she smiled at the floor, unable to keep looking him in the face, he figured he probably needn't worry about there being too many such embarrassments in the future.

But then again, the way she looked up at him through her long lashes, batting them coyly, before turning and darting down the hall when the bell rang gave him hope to the contrary.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

After dinner that evening, Lindi and Remus returned to the Great Hall and spent a quiet evening together. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall had been later to class that morning than Remus had, so he hadn't gotten in trouble for being tardy. Instead of having to write lines as punishment, he was able to sit at the far end of the Gryffindor table with Lindi, over James's Wizard's Chess set. It was just the thing that Remus needed the night before his transformation, though something less mentally taxing than chess, perhaps Gobstones, might have been even better.

Of course, going to bed and getting much needed rest would have also been an appropriate option, but he didn't want to waste even one opportunity to be with her. Besides, if he hadn't been with Lindi, he would have undoubtedly caved into the temptation to go marauding with James, Sirius, and Peter, so Lindi was actually saving him from unneeded exertion.

She was good for him.

He watched her across the table, one elbow resting on it as she bent over the chessboard. She was staring at it, deep in concentration, twisting a strand of hair in her fingers and tying and untying it into a little knot, over and over again. He really wanted to reach over and run his fingers through the soft mane falling around her face, but the table was too wide. They needed to finish this game before he was too exhausted to do anything else. Evan Rosier's insult from that morning—that Remus could not keep up with her—flickered through his mind. Remus knew there was truth in it, even if not in the way Rosier meant to insinuate, but he forced it out of his mind. He chose to think about his next move instead.

Lindi looked up, sighing in frustration and caught him rubbing the bridge of his nose, fighting the headache that was developing.

"You're tired," she said flatly.

"A little," he was forced to admit when he couldn't suppress a yawn.

Lindi covered her mouth to hide her own yawn. "Now you have me doing it. We should probably call it a night. No doubt you lot were out doing I don't even want to know what till all hours last night, weren't you?"

"Not too laaa—" The rest was distorted by another yawn.

Lindi giggled and yawned again, too. "Okay, that's it. This is a good excuse for me to go on and forfeit the match. I can't find a decent move anyway. You win." She started to pack up the chess set, waving her wand to repair the few broken pieces on her side of the table. "Besides, I'm a little tired myself. I'm afraid I got drawn into a fascinating book last night and stayed up reading far too late."

Remus waved his wand at the larger pile of chess pieces on his side of the table. As they flew together, reforming the pawns, rooks and knights, he looked back at her. "What book?"

"A Muggle history book," she said.

As they headed towards Ravenclaw Tower, Lindi told him about researching a bit of Muggle American history to learn more about a book called _To Kill a Mockingbird_ that had been given to her for her birthday. Remus recalled watching her open a package that contained a Muggle paperbacked book before his friends had embarrassed her to no end.

"It was fiction, but supposedly a sort of historical fiction, which is why I wanted to find out more about the setting and all," Lindi told him. "I thought Professor Burbage might have some references since she teaches Muggle Studies. She managed to find some things for me over the holidays, which was very nice of her considering I'm not even in her class. I think I might take it next year. I think it would be fascinating, don't you?"

Remus agreed that it probably would.

Lindi continued. "Anyway, last night, I finally got around to reading one of the texts she gave me since I'm mostly caught up on my course work and you were out running around with your mates."

"Well, tell me about this book, _To Kill a Mockingbird_?"

As they walked on, she told him about the book with enthusiasm. She started with how her mum had read it years ago, during a visit to Australia. The retired Muggle teacher who had been a friend of Lindi's Aunt had lent it to her. It had become one of Lindi's mum's favorites, inspiring her to name their owl after one of the main characters, Atticus Finch.

"But you can't call him by his full name. He gets very irate and starts pecking at you. Apparently, owls have rather large egos and they don't want to be referred to as a _finch_." Lindi grinned.

Lowering her voice conspiratorially, she also confided in him that she thought her mum had been secretly in love with the fictional man. "She used to say she'd have stolen a Time Turner and flown all the way to Alabama—_on her broomstick_, if only he had been real." Lindi smiled rather sadly. "But anyway, she always said I'd have to read it when I was old enough. She wouldn't let me back then, because it deals with some things that are of a rather _mature_ nature."

That brought up images of the romance novel he'd found in his grandmother's house many years ago. He wondered if Atticus Finch was a dashing, swashbuckler who swept the beautiful heroine off into the sunset to…well, he could only imagine to do _what_, since he hadn't actually read the thing. He had been embarrassed just reading the book's sleeve. Of course, he'd been ten at the time.

"It's such a wonderful book," Lindi went on. "You should read it."

"Well, what is it about?" Remus asked trying to put aside the image of the cover of that smutty novel. He felt sure Lindi wouldn't be recommending he read something like that, though the very thought made him smile.

"Well, I don't want to spoil it for you, because you should read it. But it actually has similar themes to things happening here these days. Mainly about misunderstanding and prejudice and how it affects people's lives."

No, that didn't sound at all like the smutty novel. "I take it this isn't a happy book," Remus said.

"Not altogether, no, but it _is_ hopeful. It's very bittersweet. I think you'd like it."

"You've convinced me," Remus told her. Lindi turned to him and practically beamed. They had reached the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Wonderful!" she said brightly. "You could read it on the train this weekend—if you don't already have something to do. Want me to get it for you?"

Remus thought it would be something to keep him occupied while he waited to go to the Shrieking Shack and she and the others were enjoying their time in Hogsmeade. "That would be great."

"Oh, good—wait right here. I'll be right back." Grinning, she turned and darted up the spiral staircase.

Very shortly, she returned with the book. "I really hope you like it, now that I've built it up beyond reach." Rolling her eyes, she handed it to him and he glanced at the cover before slipping it into his pocket.

"Thank you, I'm sure I'll like it. It will give me something to do while you lot are out roaming about in Hogsmeade."

"I wish you were going to be here."

"So do I." _You have no idea how badly I wish it_, he thought painfully.

So that he didn't have to dwell on the coming night, and because he was dying to kiss her after sitting across a table all evening watching her, he reached for her hands and pulled her to him. He finally had the opportunity to stroke her hair, finding a knot she had left from her concentration earlier. He untied it and brushed it smooth with his fingers as she watched him quietly. Looking into her eyes was nearly hypnotic and they seemed to physically pull him in. Soon they were nose to nose. Then they were kissing—not the fierce kiss of this morning. She wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone now, though she was definitely proving something to _him_ with the long, warm kiss.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Alone in his room the next day, Remus watched from the window as Lindi and his friends trudged across the snow covered grounds towards the village beyond the iron gates. Snow had started falling again and low clouds began swirling around the castle spires. Soon, they had swallowed Gryffindor tower, obscuring the walkers from his view, well before they had passed beneath the watchful eyes of the stone boars and beyond the protection of Hogwarts.

A shiver ran through him, though it wasn't particularly cold in their room. He finally turned away from the window and settled back onto his bed where a tray of food rested. James had snuck down to the kitchen and brought it back for him before they had left, but Remus pushed it away. He couldn't eat. He kept thinking of them outside, without him. Of Lindi outside…

But his friends had promised to watch her.

"Don't let her out of your sight, alright?" Remus had insisted as the three donned their heavy woolen cloaks. He had probably said it one too many times.

"We _won't_," James had assured him quite strenuously.

"It might be a little awkward in the girls' toilet, but I'll try to keep at least one eye on her, since you insist." Sirius kept his face completely deadpan until it was clear that Remus wasn't even going to smirk, much less laugh. "That was a joke, you know."

"Yes, but you have a point. Make sure she doesn't go in there alone," Remus said.

Sirius was rarely caught off guard, but at this, he blinked. "I am not following her into the toilet," he said doggedly.

"Well, I don't want you too, do I?" Remus said, preoccupied. "But make sure someone does—Leanna, or better yet, see if Lily will do it if she's around. I'm sure she'd understand. Lindi might be annoyed, so you might want to talk to them when she isn't listening."

James had volunteered to handle it, but still the worry nagged at Remus. He knew they were getting annoyed with _him_, but they also understood his concern that Greyback could apprehend her well before the full moon. If Greyback or one of his friends took her somewhere and held her captive until he had transformed…

Oh, how Remus wished he could stay with her to protect her—but that could never be, not over the full moon.

_James and Sirius will take care of her_, he told himself for the umpteenth time.

Searching for a distraction, he reached for the book Lindi had given him. Maybe it would help him relax enough to sleep a bit. A nice kip would be very welcome. He felt like crap and all the worry was only making his headache worse than usual. He flipped open the cover and started to read. Soon, he was immersed in the story. It really was quite good, though not quite stimulating enough to keep him awake for very long. Not with the impending full moon and him lying on his soft bed, surrounded by the comforting warmth of his room….

"Remus," a voice called him from far away. "_Remus_, you have to get up." Someone was shaking him.

He opened his eyes and squinted at James. "What's wrong?" he said, suddenly jerking awake.

"Nothing, mate, calm down," James said. "You just need to get around and head to the Shack. It's getting late."

"Where's Lindi?" Remus couldn't stop himself asking.

"She's in the Great Hall with Leanna, finishing up her dinner," said Peter.

"See, we didn't let anyone snatch her out of the loo." Sirius smirked.

Remus' heartbeat slowed back down to a natural rate. He leaned back against the bed and forced down a bite of cheese sandwich they had brought back for him and then made his way to the tunnel and on to the Shrieking Shack.

The rest of the weekend was a blur of images and impressions, most indicative of pain, and as much sleeping as he could do. In other words, it had been a normal, relatively uneventful transformation. The few signs of injury were easily hidden beneath his robes so that there was little for Lindi, or anyone else, to be suspicious about upon his return _from London_. To make it even better, Lindi reported that Will was also safe and sound when Remus finally saw her Monday morning.

"And I think he's dating someone," she said excitedly. "He said it isn't a big deal, but he's been seeing her at least once a week for over a month now, if I'm not mistaken. That's a big deal for Will."

Remus smiled at her excitement and the fact that another full moon had come and gone with no major mishaps. Now Remus had a whole month before having to go through the worry and pain all over again. But he wouldn't start thinking of that now, as it would be upon him all too soon.

Days were slipping by more quickly than he would have liked. Before he knew it, he and Lindi had been dating for a month and a half—and still he hadn't told her his secret.

Remus reasoned that a month and a half really wasn't very long in a relationship. _Look how quickly it has gone, _he told himself. Plus, there hadn't been so much _progress_ in their relationship that he felt uncomfortable continuing his silence. They might be snogging, but fortunately, (or unfortunately) nothing more had happened to force the issue. In fact, he could make the argument that maintaining his silence actually helped keep things from progressing _too_ quickly.

Actually, it probably did more to prevent him feeling massive frustration that _Lindi_ kept things from progressing too quickly. While he fully understood, respected and accepted her reasons and wish for them to move slowly, he might have been more inclined to suggest they frequent the hidden passage on the fourth floor a little more often, had the secret not stood between them. In any case, he felt that the secret played a part that was not _altogether_ bad.

Still, there were some guilt ridden moments on his part, though he tried very hard not to dwell on them.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

It was February before Remus and Lindi finally got to take their first Hogsmeade visit together. The two of them wandered the shops before meeting up with his friends at the Three Broomsticks. By the time Remus and Lindi arrived, Sirius had been chatted up by Fiona Peel, a fifth year Hufflepuff. While Lindi tried to act normal and friendly, the situation clearly caused her some vexation when Fiona joined them at their table. More than once, Remus saw Lindi watching Sirius with a definite hint of disapproval, only to quickly look away when Sirius looked over at her. No doubt Lindi's friendship with Leanna played a part in her discomfiture.

Sirius and Leanna had been going out, off and on for a few months now, but the relationship was not yet serious, according to Sirius. He liked Leanna, there was no question of that, but he simply wasn't ready for a steady relationship. Anyone who knew Sirius had to realize that.

Still, there was something bothering Lindi. Remus could tell when Fiona left their table again, to visit the toilet before they had to start back to the castle. Lindi's eyes followed her for an instant and when Lindi looked back and caught Sirius' eye, she jerked her gaze away yet again, as though she couldn't look at him.

Sirius noticed it too, as it was rather obvious. "What's the matter, Dellington?" he asked, sounding casual.

Remus was glad there was no harshness in Sirius' tone.

Lindi looked rather ill at ease at being called out. "Nothing's the matter," she muttered, casting about at the others now watching her.

James and Remus shared a glance. Remus figured James was also concerned that a dispute between Sirius and Lindi might erupt, as their relationship was probably going to be a bit volatile for some time, considering their short but shaky history.

Sirius looked skeptical. "Do you realize what a lousy liar you are?" he said. Remus became more uneasy as Lindi's face reddened, but Sirius grinned disarmingly and asked, "So, what is it? Do you have a problem with Fiona?"

Lindi went from looking insulted back to looking rather sheepish. "I—no, I—why would I? I don't even know her."

Sirius grinned wider, amused at the sputtering. He leaned back looking haughty and stretched a long arm over the back of Fiona's empty chair. He seemed to be enjoying Lindi's discomfort, but shortly he sat back up, resting his elbows on the table.

"Look, Dellington," he said bracingly. "If this is about Leanna…" Sirius breathed deeply, showing the slightest hint of his own discomfort before continuing. "Leanna and I are dating, but we aren't _exclusive_ and she knows that. She's fine with it—" Lindi's mouth twitched. "So if it doesn't bother her, I don't see why it should bother _you_. It isn't like I'm stepping out behind her back or anything."

Lindi sat, picking at the napkin under her butterbeer bottle. Remus felt sorry for her to have found herself in such an awkward situation as all four Marauders watched her for her response. He knew she had to be conflicted out of loyalty to Leanna, but Sirius had a point. He wasn't cheating on her friend.

"You're right," she finally said in a small voice. "I'm sorry; it's not my—" She stopped abruptly, having noticed Fiona returning to the table.

_Crisis averted_.

It was time to go back to school. They wrapped their heavy woolen cloaks about themselves and headed for Hogwarts. They were quiet on the way. It might have been the howling wind whose icy fingers ripped the air from their lungs, making it difficult to breath, much less talk. Thankfully, the snow had stopped, but they were frozen to the core by the time they climbed the stone steps to the castle doors. Lindi smiled as naturally as Remus could have expected when Fiona bid her goodbyes and walked down the Main Hall with Sirius.

When Remus and Lindi had agreed to meet in the dueling hall after dinner with plans to work on her Defense, Lindi left him for her house and a warm bath to thaw herself.

Walking back to the tower, James suggested that they should invite Lindi for a game of poker instead of Remus taking her on a "Defense date".

"She could use some work on her poker face," James said, smirking.

Remus and Peter heartily agreed. Remus thought that was something they really should do one night and not just because Lindi could use some work on hiding her feelings. It would be fun, but he had promised to help her with DADA tonight, since she had another examination coming up the following week. Remus hoped he would be able to help her do as well as she had done on the last one she'd taken right before Christmas break. He really wouldn't mind being thanked as he had been when she got her grade back the first week of term.

Remus sat on his bed drying his shoes and socks and remembering that day. He had been in the dueling hall preparing for dueling team practice. Most of his team was milling about as the last few straggled in. Remus looked up at the doorway just as Lindi came rushing through. She looked around fervently and broke into her most vibrant grin when she found him. Bounding towards him, she actually squealed with delight. She crossed the room, half running, half skipping, then threw herself on him, swinging around with such force that he completely lost his balance when he stepped on the edge of one of the cushions he'd been spreading on the floor. The two of them fell in a heap, but fortunately their fall had been softened by the cushion. Still, he had let out a loud grunt when she landed on top of him.

"Oh, Blimey, Remus," she cried. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he gasped, his pride hurt worse than anything else. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said and started laughing.

"Lindi, what on earth is going on?" he asked, unable to disentangle himself from her robes and not really trying very hard, to be perfectly honest. Bruised ego aside, he quickly decided he rather liked having her lying on top of him with her hair falling all around his face.

"I passed!" she practically shrieked. "My DADA exam—I made an A! I got Acceptable. I get to retest the O.W.L!" She squeezed him so tightly he could hardly breathe, then pulled back and smiled down at him. "It's all thanks to you, too. I would never have passed without your help."

All he could do was smile back. She was so beautiful when she was happy. She was simply gorgeous with her hair all askew. The flush on her face…the way she was breathing heavily from the excitement…the weight of her on him…her legs entwined with his…

He reached up and grabbed her head, pulling her down to kiss her.

"Oy, you two! Get a room!"

Lindi's head twisted away from him faster than a Snitch's wings. Remus looked over, too, so he could figure out who the stupid prat was. He just might have to use them for demonstration during practice.

Of course, he didn't really want to be _putting on a show_ with Lindi. For one thing, he didn't want it getting back to Will. The truth was he had nearly forgotten that they were in a room full of other people. Lindi must have lost sight of this fact, too. She rolled off him and jumped up so quickly that she tore the pocket of her robes because he had still been lying on them.

"What are you grinning at?" James asked, snapping Remus back to the present.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Mmm…must have been a pleasant nothing," said Peter.

"As a matter of fact, it was," Remus said, smiling enigmatically. He checked the hem of his robes to see if they were still wet from the snow, then looked at the clock. He slid off his bed and walked out the door to the bathroom to wash up, leaving them to wonder. When he returned, he didn't give them a chance to tease him. "It's time for dinner, are you coming?"

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

After dinner, Remus hurried back to the dormitory, gathered his toilet kit from his trunk and went back into the bathroom. He shaved and brushed his teeth. Slipping the cylindrical breath checker his friends had bought for him at Erosian's Erotic Emporium (which he tried not to think about) from his kit, he blew into it.

"Ah, minty fresh," said the motherly voice. "Very nice, dear."

"Thank you," Remus said before he caught himself. Why was he talking to a tube? Shaking his head, he slipped it into his pocket, gathered his toiletries and went back to the room.

"I'm going to meet Lindi. I'll see you later," he told James and Peter after depositing the toiletries in his trunk.

"Have fun," they called together.

Remus didn't look back. He didn't need to see the goofy looks they would be exchanging to know they were there.

Lindi was a few minutes late to the Dueling Hall, so he set the cushions out for them. He wanted them to get started right away, in hopes that they might have a little time after practicing to do something else before curfew; go for a walk, talk or whatever.

Lindi apologized for being late and after ten minutes of attempting _Incarcerous,_ it was clear that she was distracted by something. Earlier in the week, she had actually managed a short rope. While it had wrapped itself around the leg of a chair ten feet from him, rather than binding him as it should, it had still been considerably better than the thin thread now dangling from the tip of her wand.

She looked at it bleakly.

"What's the matter, Lindi? You can do better than this."

"I—it's just—nothing," she said, shaking her head in exasperation. "I just can't seem to focus."

"Do you want to take a break? We could do something else for a while."

"Yes," she said. "This is just a waste of time." She looked at the limp thread with disgust and said, "_Finite_," then slipped the wand into her pocket.

"What would you like to do?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "I know. Let's go see if we can see the Aurora Borealis. It's the first clear night in ages, now that the snow has finally moved out. Of course it's freezing, so we'll need our cloaks."

"The Astronomy Tower is still locked."

Her face fell a bit and she looked thoughtful again. Soon, a mischievous glint shone in her eyes. "How prefectish are you feeling tonight?"

_Uh-oh_… "What do you have in mind?"

"We could go up in the pitch stands." She looked cautiously optimistic.

Remus considered it for a time. He knew they shouldn't. But the prospect of snuggling together, staring at the most spectacular display the night sky had to offer was so unbelievably tempting. What could possibly be more romantic than that? "I think you've been hanging around my friends too much," he said, smirking.

"Oh, they're to blame, are they?" She smirked flirtatiously back. "Of course, you have nothing to do with it."

Grinning, he agreed with the plan and they set off to gather their winter gear. Remus was glad his room was empty so he wouldn't have to hear the innuendo in his friends' _have fun_.

James had agreed to a double date with Peter and Marci and a friend of hers. Things weren't going very well between Peter and Marci, so James was doing what he could to help. Fortunately, Marci's friend wasn't exactly a troll, in James's words. Sirius was nowhere to be found so he was probably still with Fiona, unless he had made plans Remus didn't know about with Leanna. Remus doubted this was the case. Sirius might not date anyone exclusively, but it wasn't like him to date two girls in one day. Of course, the thing with Fiona hadn't exactly been planned.

Remus wondered if that was what had Lindi so distracted. Hopefully, a chance to see the Northern Lights would take her mind off of whatever was bothering her.

First, however, they had to successfully sneak out of the castle, cross the grounds and get into the pitch without getting caught.

Remus led her down to the closet with the secret exit he used on the full moons. There was no need to worry about her questioning how he knew about it, since she now knew the Marauders had discovered several secrets in the castle and on the grounds.

Inside the closet, they cast Disillusionment Charms on each other. Lindi reached in her pocket and pulled a stick from it. She waved her wand and the stick expanded into her broom.

"Are you going flying?" he asked, taken aback. That wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind for the evening.

"Yes, and so are you," she said, grinning. He must have looked as perplexed as he felt because she chuckled. "It will be much quicker and we won't have to worry about leaving tracks in the snow."

"You really have been hanging around my friends too much," he said, feeling quite proud of her. It might have been unwarranted, but he couldn't help himself.

He climbed on the back of her broomstick and slid his hands around her waist. He didn't relish flying, but sitting with his arms—and knees—wrapped tightly around her was actually quite nice. Somehow, it didn't seem all that cold out.

"No daredevil flying, alright?" he said into her ear. She glanced back at him and smiled.

She kicked off hard and he gripped her even more tightly. He could feel her laughing, though the wind in his ears muted the sound. She was on relatively good flying behavior until the drastic dip into the pitch that almost left his stomach up in the air before she settled them down on a bench in the Hufflepuff stands.

"Crikey, Lindi. Are you practicing for the obstacle challenge with James?" he gasped, trying to regain his breath.

She laughed again and rubbed her ribs. "Sorry, but if it makes you feel better, I'll have bruises for a month the way you squeezed me."

They settled on one of the lower bleachers in hopes that the bitter wind would be blocked somewhat. They sat wrapped in a blanket he had brought, reclining against the bleacher behind them. Remus had placed a Cushioning charm on the hard wood and his arm was around her. It was very comfortable and cozy as they gazed up at the moonless sky. Millions of stars twinkled in the blackness. There was no sign of the Aurora Borealis, but it was still terribly romantic, so it was a shock to him when he looked over at her and found her frowning.

"What's wrong, Lindi?"

She didn't answer immediately, but sat looking pensively at the stars. Finally, she sat up and turned to him. There was a brooding shadow in her eyes that made him a little apprehensive. He was suddenly worried about what she might say when she finally opened her mouth and blurted.

"Are we exclusive, Remus?"

He blinked, caught completely off guard. How did she manage to do that to him so often?

"Because it feels like we are, to me," she said, earnestly. "I—I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I—I know we've only been dating a couple of months, but…" She paused and chewed her lip for an instant.

Remus blinked again, trying to formulate a response. Why couldn't he just spit out the "yes"? He wanted to shout it from the top bleacher to the entire world.

Lindi Dellington wanted to date him exclusively!

But he just sat there gaping instead. It was probably the way his heart was choking him, having leapt up into his throat in his excitement.

"I'm sorry," she said when he didn't answer. "I'm really not trying to pressure you. I just want to know what to expect. If you want to date other girls, I understand, but I just—well, I'd like to know—Not that knowing will make it any easier, I mean look at Leanna. She might _know_ she and Sirius aren't exclusive and she might even pretend she's fine with it, but that didn't stop her crying when she found out about Fiona and thought I'd left already. But it would still be better than _not_ knowing and thinking we _were_ exclusive, only to find out that you were going out with someone else too, so I—I just want to know first, okay?" She finally paused to draw breath.

He sat up straight and looked at her intently. "Are you insane?" he finally managed to get his voice to work. _Merlin's beard_! Did she not realize how he felt about her? Lindi blinked back at him, staggered. "Lindi, I don't want to date anyone else. Don't you know that?"

Relief, happiness, and something else blazed in her eyes. "Really?" she asked.

That look nearly melted him to the bottom of the pitch in spite of the cold night air, but he managed to keep himself together.

"Gawd blimey, Lindi," he said, shaking his head. "I really must be doing something wrong if you even have to ask." He intended to remedy that if at all possible, though he didn't know what else he could do. He would have thought his feelings were glaringly obvious and they seemed to be to everyone but her.

"No," she said breathlessly. "I thought so, but—I just needed to hear you say it."

"I don't want to date anyone else," he repeated firmly. Then, knowing he shouldn't, but completely helpless to stop himself, he added, "And I don't want you to date anyone else."

She beamed up at him, her eyes brighter than any star in the sky and for a time, the world was perfect. They were exclusive.

And they never did get any work done on _Incarcerous_ that night.

_A/N: I feel the need to preempt any complaints about dear Sirius' behavior in this chapter. I haven't been terribly bad about showing him as the total Ladies' man, though I have definitely hinted at it, (like a big stick to the head lol) so I don't think it should have come as a huge surprise. Still, I hope no one is too disgusted with me, but if you are, I must point you to my profile for a link to a thorough explanation/defense of my views on Sirius. If it didn't bother you, never mind. ;) _


	46. Shining Light in the Growing Darkness

**Chapter 46 Shining Light in the Growing Darkness**

_**A/N: Thanks to MaraudersWolf for beta reading. **_

Flashing waves of green and red swam in the distance. Remus lay in bed staring out the window through a crack in his bed curtains. He was wide awake as a torrent of thought swirled through his mind as rapidly as the flickering Northern Lights danced across the late night sky.

He wondered if Lindi was sleeping yet. He imagined her lying in her own bed, snuggled deep in her blankets, her dark hair splayed across the pillow. Was she watching the sky with him, thinking of him as he was of her? He clutched his linens tighter to him, imagining how wonderful it would be to hold her instead. He closed his eyes, remembering how good it had felt snuggled together at the top of the Pitch, his arms wrapped around her, her head resting on his chest. They had kept each other warm while they waited for the Aurora Borealis to appear.

The subtle scent of her hair lingered in his memory. He breathed in deeply remembering the smell—cinnamon and cloves—he thought he'd detected the hint of cocoa, too. He loved the smell of her, the smoothness of her skin when he brushed her cheek, her soft lips….Oh, how he wished she was there with him now.

_Wishes_…He'd made several that night.

While the aurora had failed to appear before he and Lindi had returned to the castle, there had been quite a spectacular meteor shower to entertain them and they had made wishes on the shooting stars. Lindi had refused to reveal her own, teasing that they wouldn't come true if she did, so he hadn't needed to make up any to share. He certainly couldn't tell her his real wishes just yet. He didn't want to spoil the mood.

But he had made several. On the first star, he wished he could hold her like that forever. On the second, he wished he was normal and healthy. On the third, he wished that if he couldn't be, somehow she would never have to know. On the last, he had wished that it wouldn't make any difference when she did.

Remus opened his eyes again and looked back out into the night, hoping to find distraction. The aurora was fading. Only sporadic glimmers of light could be seen falling behind the trees and mountains that blocked the horizon. It was not enough to distract him from the conflict inside his mind.

He didn't want to feel the guilt that burned. He wanted to focus on the wonderful thing that had happened that night, and he didn't mean the Northern Lights.

He and Lindi had made their relationship exclusive.

Remus had already considered them a couple, ever since the night of the Crystal Ball, when they'd shared their first kiss. Now, the words had been spoken and it was _official_. He smiled to himself as he remembered the strained look on her face when she'd asked him if they were. She really was a complete nutter, just as Sirius said. How could she have worried that he might want to see another girl? Did she think _he _was a total nutter?

But now what? He had always known that _he_ was dating _her_ exclusively, but now it was official. He knew she was dating him exclusively too. He could no longer keep telling himself that they had _only just started dating_ as a rationale for avoiding the moment when he had to tell her the truth. Of course, if he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had really known how she felt all along.

In any case, exclusivity made things much more serious and brought him closer to the need to be honest with her. He could make the argument all day long that they were still _just snogging_, but he knew there were more ways for a relationship to be serious than just in the physical sense.

He really needed to tell her soon. He probably should have told her tonight, before telling her he didn't want her to see anyone else, or at the very least, right after, but he had been so excited. They'd kissed; he couldn't tell her while he was snogging her. The night had been too perfect to ruin.

He rolled over onto his back and sighed, staring at the ceiling. The soft steady breaths and muffled snores of his friends surrounded him, comforting and familiar, providing the proof that he so desperately needed.

It waspossible for people to know and not despise him.

Lindi was such a gentle person, kind and soft-hearted. She didn't seem to despise anyone. She might get annoyed and even angry, but she always seemed to give people the benefit of the doubt. Well, she tended to jump to the worst possible conclusion about Sirius, but she didn't despise him. She seemed to like him despite their differences. She was incredibly tolerant of Darlene, even considering how Darlene had treated her. Lindi actually felt sorry for the girl for getting her feelings hurt.

Lindi had even felt sorry for Fenrir Greyback, before she saw what he was really capable of.

Remus' stomach sank nauseously. Would she feel sorry for _him_ when she found out? Knowing how she was, he thought she was far more likely to feel sorry for him than to hate him. Would she stay with him out of pity? The thought made his stomach lurch. He wouldn't be able to stand that.

A loud, deep snort startled Remus, distracting him temporarily. It was Sirius, from the direction of the sound, and Remus could hear him rolling over in his bed. Through the slit in the bed curtains, he could see Sirius' hand and arm flop wildly over the edge of his mattress. Most of Sirius' duvet was lying in a puddle on the floor, bringing a small smile to Remus' face. How many times had they all joked about the poor woman who ended up married to Sirius and had to risk bodily harm from his flailing about while they slept?

"If you hadn't gone and got yourself disinherited," James had once taunted, "you could have bought one of those big manors like the Malfoys have, with separate wings and she could have her own bed."

"_Hrmmphh_!" Sirius had huffed incredulously. "She won't _want _her own bed. Sleeping in mine will be well worth the risk, mate."

Oh, how Remus envied Sirius' confidence. Of course, Sirius had reason to be confident. Remus on the other hand…

But Sirius, James, and Peter didn't look down on him; they didn't consider him less of a man, didn't pity him. They probably felt bad for him at times, but they were more likely to feel anger on behalf of him than to pity him. Peter even appeared to sometimes hold Remus in nearly as much awe as he held Sirius and James. It didn't happen often, but Peter had seemed ever more impressed with him, even envious, especially since Remus had been dating Lindi.

Remus prayed that Lindi would be like his friends—that her feelings for him wouldn't change. He didn't want anything to change the way she looked into his eyes, the way she flirted across the Great Hall, the way she kissed him….

At breakfast the next morning, Remus was exhausted. It had taken him ages to fall asleep. Between the excitement he felt thinking about his now formally exclusive relationship with Lindi and the niggling guilt and worry because of it, he had tossed and turned for what must have been hours.

He had promised Lindi that they would actually work on _Incarcerous_ today, but first, he was going to go back to the room and have a bit of rest.

When mid-afternoon arrived and he had finished his kip and an assignment that was due the next morning, Remus and his friends headed down to the Dueling Hall. He hoped Lindi wouldn't mind that the others had decided to join them. He figured she probably wouldn't. She had been practicing in front of them during Dueling Team practice for months now, so she was used to their teasing and taunts. Plus, the others' presence would be a guarantee that Remus and Lindi wouldn't have to worry about the temptation to do anything other than practicing their dueling and spell casting.

At first, James and Sirius were content to duel each other while Peter watched Remus and Lindi and sometimes joined them. Peter let himself be used as target practice for her instead of Remus having to do it. That left Remus free to more closely supervise Lindi's casting of the spell. After a little while, she had managed to send a fairly decent length of cord flying from her wand. Unfortunately, rather than binding Peter, it managed to snare one of the torches on the wall. Remus quickly vanished the cord as it started to burn like a fuse toward the stack of books on the table beneath its dangling end.

"Well, that was—better," Remus said as Lindi groaned in frustration. Her aim was simply—well it needed a lot of work before she retook her O.W.L.

"The cord was good." Peter tried to be encouraging.

"Come on, Dellington, you can do better than that," said Sirius, walking towards them as James followed. "Just think of him as a target you really want to hit."

"Pretend he's Wilkins or something," James suggested.

"_Uh_," Lindi huffed. "I don't want to _hit_ Darlene. Not lately, anyway."

According to Lindi, she and Darlene had come to a sort of tenuous truce. Basically, they ignored one another, with the periodic insult or hex here and there. Remus felt sure the insults and hexes were on Darlene's part, but regardless, he was relieved that a full blown feud had been avoided.

"Alright then, who _do_ you want to hit?" asked Sirius.

"I don't want to _hit_ anyone," Lindi insisted.

"Well, let's see what we can do about that," Sirius said smiling darkly.

Lindi blinked at him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Remus felt a little anxious about this. Memories of Professor Adamson flickered through his mind, but Sirius wasn't trying to humiliate Lindi. Remus was sure Sirius was genuinely trying to help, but it didn't stop Remus worrying about what Sirius might do to provoke her into hexing him.

"Come on; I challenge you to a duel," said Sirius. "Just pretend that we are in a full-fledged war. I'll be the bad guy."

"That'll be a stretch." Peter sniggered under his breath.

Lindi's eyes grew more wary. Sirius smiled that wicked smile again. "I'm waiting."

"I don't want to duel you," Lindi said, clearly a bit frightened by the prospect of going head to head with Sirius. "I just want to practice _Incarcerous_."

"Well, you don't always get to chose who you duel, especially in a war," Sirius taunted her. "But by all means, practice _Incarcerous_. It's perfect to stop me doing things like this." He flicked his wand and a jet of white light flew from it and formed what looked like a twisted towel that popped her sharply on the bum. It was one of James' specialties that he liked to use on his teammates in the locker room after Quidditch matches.

"_Ouch_!" Lindi jumped and rubbed her hand over the spot that had been hit. "That hurt, Sirius."

"Good, it's supposed to." Sirius laughed. "I told you I'm the _bad _guy! Now, if you don't subdue me with _Incarcerous_, I'm going to—" Sirius narrowed his eyes at her, thinking quickly. "I'm going to hang you by your ankles and show everyone what kind of knickers you're wearing."

Lindi gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

_Oh, crap_…thought Remus. First of all, telling Sirius he wouldn't dare do something was the quickest way to insure that he would, in fact, do it. Not to mention, during the past year, it had been nearly impossible to walk the halls without finding someone dangling by their toes with their robes hanging around their ears. Lindi had to know that Sirius would do this without batting an eye.

The single cocked brow on Sirius' smirking face was his reply. It absolutely screamed, "_Try me_!"

"_So_," Sirius said, glancing at Peter, James and Remus. "What sort of knickers do you think she's wearing? Whoever guesses closest, the rest of us will pay his check on the next Hogsmeade trip."

"Don't you _dare_!" cried Lindi. Remus wished she'd stop saying that.

"Then you better get cracking," Sirius goaded her. He flicked his wand and her robes fluttered up around her shins. "I'm guessing white cotton grannies."

Lindi's face flushed and she held down her robes in case they flew higher. "Sirius, don't! _Remus_…"

"Sirius…" Remus said, unsure if this was a good tactic.

"No, she needs to learn, Moony," Sirius said. "You know it will be on the O.W.L."

Remus looked at her. "Try, Lindi. You can stop him," he said supportively. He certainly _hoped_ she could stop him, though there was the brief flash of curiosity that she might be wearing those Quidditch knickers. He quickly mentally chastised himself for almost hoping she wouldn't be able to stop Sirius, if for no other reason than Remus didn't want everyone to see them. Of course, Sirius would have to _let_ her hex him. She'd never be able to hit him if he didn't want her to. _Crap_…Remus wasn't sure how far he should let this go.

"_Incarcerous_," she said, brandishing her wand frantically.

A thick cord burst out of it and flew between Sirius and James. James jerked back and the tail end of the cord snapped him in the face, knocking his glasses askew. When James looked around, rather stunned, the lens over his right eye was cracked.

"Bloody hell, Lindi, be careful! You'll put somebody's eye out!" he said.

_Craaap!_ thought Remus. Now she was going to be even more nervous.

"I'm _sorry_!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," James said. He took the glasses off and tapped them with his wand to repair the lens. "But I'm not the bad guy; _he_ is." James pointed to Sirius and stepped back out of the way.

"That was pretty good, though, Lindi," Remus said encouragingly. He really wanted her to do this so he didn't have to step in.

"But not good enough," Sirius snarled playfully. "So, what is your guess, Prongs, cotton or silk?" He grinned and raised his wand.

"_Sirius_!" Lindi shrieked.

James laughed a little awkwardly himself, looking like he wasn't completely sure if he should play along either. He must have decided it was okay for a while longer. "Red satin," he said. "That's the slick shiny stuff, right?" Lindi's mouth dropped.

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, nice one, Prongs." He raised the wand and started to turn away from James.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Lindi cried. Sirius' wand flew from his hand while he wasn't looking and landed on the other side of the large room.

"_Excellent_," said Sirius, casting an approving glance her way. "But that isn't the spell you are supposed to be doing. I'm still free. All I have to do is get my wand back and your knickers are showing." He said all this with such arrogance that Remus wanted to curse him for her. Sirius started strolling towards his wand. "So, what's your guess Wormtail?"

"Get him, Lindi," Remus urged.

She attempted the spell once more, but her nerves were fraying and her hand motion was erratic. The cord wrapped around Sirius' ankle, nearly tripping him, but he reached down and easily flung it off. "So, Wormtail?" he asked with infuriating casualness and continued calmly towards the wand.

"Er, black velvet—bikinis—with lace around the waist and—" Remus, James and Sirius looked over at Peter, each a bit amazed at the amount of thought he seemed to be giving to the type of knickers Lindi might have on, "…a little bow in the front…"

"_Incarcerous_!"

The cord was smooth and long and wrapped Sirius from his neck to his knees. He looked a bit surprised and fell over with a thud.

"_Perfect_, Lindi," Remus said with relief. He didn't need to mention the fact that Sirius hadn't even attempted to block the spell and had not been paying the least bit of attention to her. Just because Sirius had also been more interested in Peter's rather detailed imagining of what sort of knickers Lindi was wearing, it didn't negate the fact that she had performed a perfect _Incarcerous_.

She beamed at him.

"Well done," Peter sounded impressed.

They all started towards Sirius, bound tightly and lying on the floor. James reached him first and Remus could have sworn he saw Sirius wink, though he might have simply been blinking.

"_Ha_!" Lindi said, leaning down to look Sirius in the face. "The _good_ guy, er, _girl_ wins, so—" She froze.

Sirius mouth opened, tongue protruding and he made a gurgling sound, apparently unable to breath. His eyes opened wide in panic. His face started turning red.

"Sirius?" Lindi said, alarmed. "Oh, _crikey_—are you choking?"

Sirius opened his eyes wide in an attempt to communicate; then they rolled back into his head. Before anyone could respond, Lindi pointed her wand at the cord around his throat and cried, "_Finite_!" The entire cord vanished and she fell to her knees beside a still Sirius, dropping her wand on the floor next to her and reaching for his face. "_Sirius_?" she cried. She leaned over him closely, putting her ear to his mouth, checking if he was breathing.

Sirius' eyes snapped open and Remus could see the smile twinkling in them, proving that he was definitely up to something. When Lindi sat back up, looking nearly hysterical, she gasped and jumped, startled to find Sirius grinning up at her. An instant passed with them staring at one another before she seemed to sense the danger. Then, she twisted sharply, looking for her wand, but Sirius was too fast. He shoved it out of her reach, the wood clattering against the stone. With the speed of an animal attacking its prey, he rolled over and caught her hand as she dove for the wand skittering across the floor.

"Now you're in trouble," he said, sitting up on his haunches and pinning her to the floor on her back. "You have no weapon."

"Well—neither do _you,_" she said defiantly, and made to pull herself up.

Sirius held her firmly to the floor and looked down at her, smiling his cockiest smirk. "Yes, but in a real battle, which of us do you think would be at a greater disadvantage without a wand?"

Lindi blinked at him once again. "_Argh_—well—I—Let me up," she sputtered.

"Not until you've learned your lesson," Sirius said, keeping his voice level. "You _never_ put down your wand."

"_Alright_." Lindi squirmed to free herself, but couldn't. Remus wondered when he should step in. He didn't particularly care for the way Sirius was holding her to the floor.

"What's going on in here?" Lily asked as she walked up behind them.

"Sirius is giving Lindi a lesson in the rules of dueling," James said very matter-of-fact.

"Oh, is that what he's doing? It looks more like he's giving her a lesson in Muggle wrestling." Lily smirked. "I think you've been pinned, Lindi."

"_Arghh_," Lindi grunted and tried to get up again, but still Sirius held her. "He's just being a—a _prat_ because I hexed him."

Sirius smiled mildly. "And it was an excellent hex—right up to the point where you fell for my act and panicked. What if this were real? What if I were a Death Eater?"

"But it _isn't_ real. You _aren't_ a Death Eater and I thought you were _choking_. Now let me up."

"You have to practice the way you would fight. If you don't, you'll make the same mistakes when it really matters." Sirius wasn't smiling now.

Lindi looked at him as though he were a bit barmy. "I don't plan on getting into duels with Death Eaters and if I did, I certainly wouldn't let them loose."

"I certainly hope not." But Sirius didn't sound convinced.

To be honest, Remus had his doubts, too. Lindi was too trusting and compassionate. Still, Sirius finally let her go and pushed himself up off the floor. For a second, Remus thought Sirius was going to offer to help her up, but he didn't. He turned and walked to pick up his own wand.

Remus offered Lindi his hand.

"Hold on, Moony," Sirius called. "I still don't think she's learned her lesson."

"What?" Remus said. What was Sirius up to now? Remus continued to pull Lindi to her feet.

"She willingly relinquished her wand, her_ only weapon_, during a duel. That could be a deadly mistake. She needs to learn her lesson." Now, Sirius grinned mischievously.

"But that wasn't part of the lesson we were working on," Remus pointed out fairly.

"Well, it should be. Actually, she should already know it. Any first year should know they _never _let go of their wand, if they can help it."

"I thought you were choking!" Lindi defended herself. "I'll let you turn blue next time."

"That's a start," Sirius said. "Maybe this will help you remember that."

For half an instant, Remus feared that Sirius was going to use _Levicorpus_ on her as he had threatened earlier. Sirius raised his wand and gave it a jab, but instead of flipping upside down, Lindi doubled over, clutching her stomach and giggled loudly. She fell to the floor, gasping through the laughter. "Sirius—_stop_—I—you—_stop!_"

Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she laughed so hard her body shook. Remus joined his friends, chuckling. He felt awful about it, because he knew how excruciating _Rictusempra_ really was, but her laughter was contagious. Remus had long ago decided that whoever had developed the Tickling Charm was truly evil. What sort of twisted mind would use laughter to torture people?

Sirius laughed loudest of all, standing over her looking down where she was rolling on the floor. "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Yes!" she gasped. "_Stop_!"

Sirius swished his wand once and the spell was broken. Lindi lay on the floor gasping for breath. She looked up at him, blinking back the tears. "You—are—the devil."

Another deep bark of laughter burst from Sirius' throat and echoed through the room. He stretched his hand down to help her up. "Maybe so, but hopefully you've learned your lesson. You _never_ put down your wand."

Lindi was a little irritated with Sirius and his arrogance for a while, but Remus tried to smooth things over, arguing that Sirius made a good point. After all, with everything that was going on around them, it was imperative that she be as prepared as possible. The Marauders had pointed out that she could even find herself confronted by Death Eaters inside the halls of Hogwarts. Lindi hadn't wanted to believe their accusations towards some of the Slytherins, even when Lily admitted it was likely that some of them were, if not _already_ Death Eaters, well on their way to becoming them.

"If Avery and Mulciber aren't, I'll eat the Sorting Hat," Lily said. "Did you hear about Mulciber and what he almost did to Mary MacDonald last year?"

"Yes, I heard," Lindi said, looking troubled. "But I just can't believe he really tried to use _Imperius_ on her. Professor Dumbledore surely would have expelled him for that. It's an _Unforgivable_." Lindi looked uncertain when she went on. "A lot of people thought she made it up because she was embarrassed. They said she'd been drinking."

"That's the _only_ reason Dumbledore didn't expel him; count on it!" James said with great confidence. "But I know Mary and I can't see her doing something like that, even if she was drinking. If she wasn't _Imperiused_, then he put something other than just Firewhiskey in her drink."

"And what was he doing with her in the first place? She's Muggleborn and poor to boot," Sirius added. "Not exactly the kind of girl a bloke like Mulciber has an innocent drink with."

"Anyway you look at it, it sounds dodgy," said Peter.

"It's beyond dodgy; it's evil," said Lily.

"And you know Avery is just as bad," Remus said quietly.

"And don't forget your mate, _Snivellus_," Sirius added.

Lily prickled and looked like she was going to say something but hesitated.

"Severus isn't like that," Lindi argued. "He's never done anything remotely like that, at least not towards _me_ and I've never heard about it if he's done it to anyone else." She looked at Lily with an unspoken question.

A hint of sadness shaded Lily's usually vibrant green eyes. "No, he wouldn't do something like that." She hesitated again before letting out a forlorn sigh. "But he _is_ mixed up with some very shady people and—well, I think it's safe to say he wouldn't be, if he didn't agree with at least some of what they do."

"Glad you finally realized what an evil git he is," James said unwisely. Remus would have liked to gag him.

Lily looked at James with great annoyance. "Severus might be getting himself mixed up in things he shouldn't and I certainly don't excuse him for that, but he isn't _evil_. I think things would be very different for him if he—if he hadn't been surrounded by…" Lily sighed heavily.

"A house full of evil gits?" James finished her sentence.

Lily looked pained, as though James had slapped her. "Yes," she said.

"You know, there has to be a reason he was put there with them in the first place," James said.

With that, Lily looked nearly stricken. Remus had never really understood why Lily was such good friends with Severus, but clearly, she had cared for him. It had driven James nearly to distraction, for quite some time, but now that Lily and Snape had apparently severed their friendship, James should probably stop harping on how rotten Snape was.

"Well, I'm glad I wasn't put in Slytherin," said Peter. "There has to be a lot of pressure to go bad."

"You all talk about them as if every single Slytherin had already joined—_you know who_," Lindi said.

"You mean _Voldemort_?" Sirius said, eyeing Lindi with some amusement. She nodded, turning slightly pink. Sirius appeared to consider saying something that would no doubt be very sarcastic, but he just smirked instead.

"Anyway, there have to be plenty of Slytherins who aren't going to be Death Eaters. I mean, your own brother's in Slytherin," Lindi continued, choosing to ignore Sirius' smirk.

A humorless snort burst from Sirius. "Regulus doesn't go a long way to help you prove your point, Dellington. It wouldn't come as a shock to me _at all_ to hear my little brother had already signed on with Voldemort."

"How can you say that about your own brother?" Lindi said.

"Because it's the truth," Sirius said frankly.

"Well, Regulus has always been nice to me," Lindi said, clearly not wanting to believe the worst. "Lots of the Slytherins have."

Sirius smiled wryly. "Now, why doesn't that surprise me?"

"The point is," Remus said quickly, for Lindi had bristled at the tone in Sirius' voice. "There are people even here at Hogwarts who are _not_ nice. It couldn't hurt to be on your guard."

"Right, so _never_ put down your wand!" Sirius insisted.

Lindi rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat.

February rolled on. St. Valentine's Day was upon them in the blink of an eye. It was a fairly uneventful evening, having fallen on a Monday. Remus and Lindi were spending the evening together in the Library working on a Potions paper that was due the next day. However, they _did _take time for a short break and found a quiet classroom where they could exchange gifts.

They sat on top of a table against the front wall. When Remus handed her the package wrapped in shiny red paper with a sparkly silver bow, he wasn't nearly as nervous as he had been at Christmas. He had decided on a simple and fun gift this time. He had wanted to get her that Legibility Quill, but it was just a bit too pricey, so he had picked a more typical Valentine's gift. Flowers and sweets were always safe, according to his friends, but at the look on her face when she opened the present, Remus wondered if his friends had any idea what they were talking about.

As was the way with Lindi, her face gave her away before she could stop it. Just what emotions were actually betrayed in the look on her face, Remus wasn't exactly sure, but he was definitely sure that she didn't look nearly so pleased as she had with his snow globe from Christmas.

"Oh—_wow_," Lindi sputtered. "I—" She looked up at him and pursed her lips together looking like she was trying not to laugh.

Remus felt rather deflated. He knew it wasn't a _fantastic_ gift, but he had thought it was rather clever. Candy-coated chocolate hearts printed with romantic phrases written in runes had seemed like a good idea when he saw them in the Honeyduke's advertisement in the _Daily Prophet_. Lindi took Ancient Runes too, so he had thought she might find them fun.

"The runes spell out phrases," he pointed out, beginning to feel like quite the pillock.

"Yes, I see," she said still looking rather—what was the look on her face? He couldn't tell if she was disappointed or simply amazed that she was dating such an uncool prat. "Thank you, Remus. I—I love it." She gave a little chuckle that made him think she was placating him, and sat the sweets on the table beside her. "Here, open mine." She handed him an elegant white wrapped package with a glistening red bow.

He almost dreaded opening it. What if she had bought him something really special and expensive? He would feel like such an arse…

He anxiously pulled the bow loose and tore the paper away. He opened the box and blinked. He couldn't believe it. He looked up and met her smiling face.

"Great minds think alike," she said giggling.

Remus had to laugh. Apparently he wasn't so uncool after all. He dug around in his own package of rune-covered sweets and found the one he wanted, the one that translated to _Be Mine_, and handed it to her. She read it and simply glowed at him, then started to dig in her own package. He read the runes on the one she handed him. When he looked up at her, she cocked a brow flirtatiously. His stomach did a little shimmy and he leaned towards her to obey the command. He briefly considered the genius behind the manufacture of a sweet with the instructions _Kiss Me_ printed on it in ancient runes.

Over the next week, he enjoyed his chocolates, thinking of Lindi with each phrase he deciphered. He had made a point of eating the one stating _No Lies_ right away, so he didn't have to keep seeing it. It was like his conscience had been put in a candy mold. He knew he should have used it as an opening to tell her about his secret when he had given her the sweets, but it had been Valentine's Day, and they had been laughing, and she had given him the heart that said _Kiss Me_….

As February flew by, another transformation came and went. Lindi hadn't seemed to notice anything unusual about Remus having plans with his friends. To be honest, she didn't seem to be aware that it was even time for the full moon again, until she'd received an owl post from Will. The letter arrived the morning of the full moon, while Lindi and Leanna were sitting with Remus and his friends after breakfast. Will had written to remind her to stay inside. He obviously knew Lindi well enough to know that she sometimes let her guard down, and apparently, she had confided in him that she sometimes went out of the castle at night with her _friends_. Remus wondered if letting that secret out was a good idea, since Will worked for the Department of Law Enforcement, but Lindi had assured him it would be fine.

"Will isn't going to report us for breaking curfew now and then. He'd feel like a world-class hypocrite. But he _did_ say to tell you to remember what he told you about me getting hurt." Lindi looked at Remus quizzically. "You didn't tell me you talked about our excursions."

Remus nearly blushed. Sirius, James and Peter barely managed to stop themselves from laughing. Clearly, Lindi still didn't know what Will had actually warned Remus about, in regards to _hurting_ her. Fortunately, she didn't wait for Remus to offer a response.

"I told him he's turning into such a chauvinist in his old age. He doesn't think I can take care of myself. I'm going to have to show him my _Incarcerous_," she said, clearly feeling well chuffed at having finally cast the spell.

Remus was glad she had missed Sirius rolling his eyes and the comment he made when the Marauders had left the girls and headed to their dormitory to fetch their school bags. There was no need for her to be discouraged when Sirius said (very sarcastically) that Will would be quite impressed to know she could tie up a stump if it was close enough to her. Remus was quick to point out that, now that she could perform the spell, she just needed to practice and become more proficient and soon she'd be able to do it while her opponent was actually looking.

Later that day, Lindi had inquired as to the Marauders' plans for the evening. It had crossed Remus' mind that he should tell her the truth, but he was so tired and queasy, he really didn't think he could handle such an important discussion at that point.

"We thought we might go see if we can harvest some Mooncalf dung," he lied. He didn't know what had possessed him to use this as a cover, considering the actual connection of Mooncalves to his bite. Maybe he was subconsciously trying to start a confession and his subconscious was starting at the very beginning.

He shrugged his subconscious off and continued his lie. "Mum could use some for her spring crops. She said she has a greenhouse full of plants to set out, but they're looking a bit peaky."

"You're going outside?" Lindi asked, looking concerned. "But…" She paused and then looked intrigued. "Are there Mooncalves on the castle grounds?"

"I think there might be. Hagrid has to get dung from them somewhere."

"I've never seen one," Lindi said. "Do you think the others would mind…" She stopped when she must have seen the look on his face. "Never mind. I'm sorry. I know this is your _male bonding_ time." She rolled her eyes, smirking good-naturedly. "Just be careful and try not to stay out too late; you already look exhausted."

Remus had promised to try and then made _her_ promise to stay indoors for fear that she would be curious about the possibility of seeing a Mooncalf. Maybe he shouldn't have used that as a cover—but she had given him her word.

When Remus awoke in the Shrieking Shack the next morning, it was to find that, once again, they'd managed to get through another full moon with nothing more horrible than a badly torn fingernail and a couple of cuts and bruises. For an instant, upon sight of Sirius' bloodied cheek and the goose egg on Peter's forehead, Remus had thought something awful might have happened. However, they quickly informed him that there had simply been a bit of a ruckus when some boys had approached the Shack shortly after the transformation. The wolf had gone a little mad trying to get at them. Apparently he had tried to claw the boards from the windows and was hurting himself. Professor Dumbledore had obviously used quite powerful Permanent Sticking Charms on them, hence the nearly ripped out fingernail on Remus' right hand. During his friends' efforts to restrain him, the wolf had clawed at Padfoot, and poor Wormtail had received an accidental blow to the head from Prongs' hoof before the rat could get out of the way.

According to them, the injuries were well worth the laugh they got watching the three young lads falling all over each other, trying to get away from the sound of horrific bedlam emanating from the building. The Shrieking Shack had definitely lived up to its name this month and they highly doubted that any of the lads would be tempted to approach it ever again.

Remus dragged himself to the Great Hall for dinner that evening, not wishing to be too conspicuously absent for too long. Lindi caught his eye and gave him a slight frown of disapproval before smiling and shaking her head as though she thought he were hopeless. _If she only knew…._

But he was far too exhausted to tell her tonight.

When she had finished her dinner and people started to leave the Great Hall, she came over to their table and joined him. Remus was still trying to choke down a piece of soda bread in order to settle his stomach, which was still quite queasy from the transformation.

"I don't suppose you've learned your lesson?" Lindi said.

"What do you mean?"

"Running around all night in the cold air—"

"Er, Lindi, can you hold it down a bit?" James said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, sorry," she said, then turned back to Remus and went on more quietly. "But you really shouldn't wear yourself down so badly that you end up sick."

Remus felt like a complete arse. The concern in her voice tempered her rebuke, but made him feel even more horrible.

"No offense," she said delicately, "but you look and sound awful, Remus. Have you seen Madam Pomfrey? Did you catch a cold? Didn't Madam Pomfrey give you a Pepperup Potion?"

"No, she doesn't think it's a cold," he said, hating this. He hated the way his friends sat there quietly, not knowing what to say for possibly the first time in their lives. Or were they just waiting to see how he would respond?

She gave his face an appraising once-over. "Is it allergies?" Lindi asked. "I bet it is. You've got the symptoms: the dark circles and hoarse voice. Is your throat sore?"

"A little," he answered, glad to be able to answer something else truthfully.

"Do you have post-nasal drainage?" she asked, but didn't wait for him to answer. "That would make your throat raw and make you hoarse." Remus stared at her, avoiding eye contact with his friends, so he wouldn't start laughing or anything. She rambled on. "I bet you're allergic to something in the forest. There have to be all sorts of things out there you could be allergic to—animal droppings, pollens…though most of the plants are probably dormant this time of year—" Remus felt terribly guilty letting her continue to speculate about the cause of his illness, but he loved watching her and listening to her voice as she went on thinking out loud. "Still, I bet the forest floor is completely covered in molds and mildews from the rotting leaves and stuff. I'm sure you lot were stirring up all sorts of things running round. Does this happen every time you go out there?"

Remus could see James, Sirius and Peter biting their lips and looking away, so she wouldn't see them struggling not to laugh.

"Not every time," Remus said evenly. He was very proud of his composure, though he knew he should really be ashamed.

"No, I guess not. I don't recall you having this problem when we went out to the Crystal Cove." Lindi looked puzzled. "Maybe it's something in a particular part of the forest."

"Come to think of it," said James, looking very sincere. "It could be animal dander. I know a lot of people are allergic to that. I'd bet this is all down to your furry little problem. You don't have it every time you go out, but you do seem to feel this way whenever you do."

Lindi looked confused and Peter covered his outburst of laughter with a cough.

"What's your _furry little problem_?" Lindi asked.

"Erm…" Remus wanted to belt James. Usually when James did this, they all just walked away laughing and left the poor unsuspecting people present wondering what on earth the big joke was, but Remus wanted to tell Lindi the truth. He just didn't want to do it right now, with them all staring and in the middle of the Great Hall. "I have a, er—" _Crap_… Should he just let her think it was a badly behaved rabbit as he suspected most of the people who heard James say it did?

"Rat," Peter chimed in.

"You have a _rat_?" Lindi said looking quite taken aback. "I never knew that." Lindi was clearly surprised that Remus would not have told her of a pet, but then, she seemed to consider something else. "But if you have a pet rat and are allergic to it, you'd be ill all the time, don't you think?"

_Great, now what? _Remus forced himself not to glare at James, wondering how he was going to get out of this when he kept getting so much _help_ from his friends.

"It isn't really his pet," said Sirius. "It just comes around from time to time and is particularly attached to Moony, here. He just hasn't figured out how to get rid of it."

"Well if that's what's causing all this, you need to figure out how to get rid of it," Lindi said in earnest. Again, his friends turned away, looking like they might blow blood vessels. Lindi didn't seem to notice, as she was too intent on his illness. "Has Madam Pomfrey tested you for allergies?"

"No," Remus said, trying his best not to smile.

"That really surprises me. She should. Maybe she could brew some sort of anti-allergen potion for you. Of course, they tend to make people very sleepy, but since it only seems to bother you occasionally, you should try it."

Remus finally smiled at her, feeling incredible fondness. Beyond the fact that he fancied her and he loved the way she made him feel all hot and bothered just by entering a room, he really _liked_ her. "I guess I'm just used to it," he said. "It doesn't last too long, but maybe I will talk to her next time." He felt a yawn coming on and couldn't stop it. "But I don't think I need anything to make me more sleepy," he said after the shivering yawn.

Lindi smiled and squelched her own yawn. "No, apparently not—I guess this means you don't want to do anything tonight." She gave him a little pout.

He stared at that lush rosy lip protruding ever so delectably. _Crap!_ Of course he _wanted_ to do something! But he was simply in no condition to. He wanted to scream with frustration. He _hated_ being sick!

"I better not," he said, feeling his friends' eyes back on him. "But I'll walk you back to your house if you're going there."

"Alright," she said. She stood up and waved to James, Sirius and Peter as Remus stood to join her. "See you lot later."

They bid her goodnight and she and Remus headed for the doorway.

"So, did you get to see any Mooncalves?" Lindi asked as they strolled leisurely through the corridors, neither of them in a hurry to get to Ravenclaw Tower.

"No, I'm afraid not. I really didn't see anything of particular interest," Remus answered. "What did you do?" He wanted to change the subject quickly.

"Leanna and I went to practice beating Bludgers," she said, making a face. "I now realize, more than ever, that I'm not a Beater for a reason, but I have to get better at it if I want to have any chance of winning against James in the obstacle course."

"Where did you practice something like that?" Remus suddenly worried that she had sneaked out to the Pitch again and taken Leanna with her.

"We went to the Dueling Hall. Professor Flitwick showed me how to deactivate the charm on a couple of old Bludgers and Leanna levitated them for me, so I could hit them without them going too far—not that they would, anyway." Lindi rolled her eyes. "I never really appreciated just how much power it takes to beat a Bludger. Every bone in my body rattled when I hit it. I'm sore all over." She rubbed the muscles in her upper arm. "I have a whole new level of respect for Beaters, not to mention I really hope I never get hit with one. I think I'll try not to get on Sirius' bad side again before our next match with Gryffindor." She mocked a frightened face, causing Remus to laugh, though he couldn't help but think Sirius better not hit her with a Bludger.

Of course, Sirius was competitive enough to do it, if it would stop her winning the match for Ravenclaw. He wasn't quite as gung ho as James, but he definitely liked to win, even more so since he'd joined the team at the beginning of the year. Sirius filled the slot finally vacated by Joey Jenkins, who had played Beater for the past five years and now played for the Chudley Cannons Reserve Team.

"Anyway," Lindi went on. "I just hope I can hit it hard enough to get by in the competition."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

"I'm not," she said, looking bleak. "I can't believe I've let myself get in this mess. I'll be glad when it's all over and I can stop worrying about it."

"Don't convince yourself you've already lost, Lindi, or you probably will," Remus told her. "James is stronger, but you have the advantage over _him_ in some things, too. He's worried about getting through the hoops quickly and the Snitch pick, but don't tell him I told you so."

She stopped walking, turned to him and smiled gratefully. "Have I told you that I missed you last night?"

"No, I don't think you have," Remus said, going warm all over.

"Well I did—and all day today, too. I'm already dreading the summer hols. I don't know what I'll do when I can't see you for weeks on end."

That was enough to wipe the grin from his face. "Let's not think about that," he said. "It's a long way off."

_And anything can happen before that_, he thought, considering that there was simply no way he could avoid telling her the truth for that much longer. The warmth from only an instant before chilled. He grasped for a change of subject as well as her hand and started walking again. "So, did you talk to Will last night?"

"No, he wasn't in, but he sent me an Owl at lunch to let me know he was fine. I think he might have had another date, though he didn't actually mention what it was that had him occupied until at least ten, which is the last time I tried reaching him before I gave up and went to bed." She looked quite pleased with the prospect that Will's love life might be progressing. "I was really starting to worry until I received the Owl, though—plus you and your friends didn't show up for breakfast, on top of the things in the _Daily Prophet_. I was so relieved when I finally saw them at lunch and they told me you were just a bit ill. Of course, before I talked to them, I thought the worst. They all looked like crap. Peter had that big bruise on his head and Sirius had that cut on his face. You lot really need to be more careful."

"You're probably right," he agreed.

They reached the base of the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw, but Remus wasn't quite ready to say goodnight. For one thing, his curiosity had been peaked by what she had just said about the _Daily Prophet_, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to talk about anything unpleasant just now.

"What was in the _Prophet_?" he asked, unable to resist the temptation.

"Loads," she said sadly. "But you don't want to talk about it now. You need to go get some sleep. You look really awful, Remus." She smiled sweetly when she said it and ran her finger softly over the circles under his eyes. "Besides, I don't want to talk about it either."

"Did someone we know get hurt?" he asked, starting to become very worried.

"No, at least no one I know. Do you know a woman called Phoebe Randolph or her husband Alban?"

Remus shook his head, thankfully not recognizing the names.

"What about Caleb Sheridan—or was it Caden—no I'm pretty sure it was Caleb?"

That one didn't ring any bells either. Remus felt a rush of relief. Perhaps he could wait to find out what terrible fate had befallen these unfortunate people.

"Well, then don't worry. You can read about it tomorrow. Do you have your copy of the _Prophet_?" she asked.

"I think so," Remus said, trying to recall if he had remembered to bring it back from the Shrieking Shack where the _Prophet_ owl would have delivered it. When preparing the security for the Shack, Professor Dumbledore had been sure to leave the flue to the fireplace open enough for the paper to fit through. That way, it wouldn't draw attention to Remus when the _Prophet_ owl returned with an undeliverable paper the morning after each full moon.

"You can borrow mine, if you don't," she said. "I still have it."

With that all settled, Remus bid her goodnight. He restrained himself from kissing her, pretending to use caution in the event that whatever was wrong with him wasn't simply _allergies_. He might as well be convincing until he actually told her the truth.

It was a few days before Remus finally got around to reading the past edition of the _Daily Prophet_. When James, Sirius and Peter received a package in the morning post and refused to let him join them to look at it, he took the opportunity to catch up on the news. He assumed the package was something they had ordered for his upcoming birthday. He was a little worried about whatever it was, because they seemed quite excited when it arrived and had immediately dashed to the dormitory to look at it, telling him to stay in the common room.

Of course, he knew it might be absolutely anything, with those three, so he didn't even try to guess and pulled out the paper. When he did, he almost wished he had remained ignorant of the news. While he had been pleased to have an uneventful full moon this month, not everyone had faired so well.

First, the lead investigator into the allegations of jury tampering in Fenrir Greyback's trial had disappeared. Though no body had yet been found, foul play was suspected.

Then, the Randolph couple that Lindi had mentioned turned out to be a werewolf and his wife. According to the report, Randolph had killed the woman while he was transformed, though he had a secure cage in the cellar of their home. Randolph could not explain how he came to be free if he had locked himself up, as he claimed to have done for the past two years, ever since receiving his bite. The only excuse he could make was that he was being framed. He said the reason for it was that he had refused to join in supporting Voldemort's cause. According to Randolph, Death Eaters had approached him with the offer to join them several days earlier. Remus reread part of the article.

"_How very convenient," said Dolores Umbridge, Deputy Undersecretary to the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Beast Division. "Next, he will be claiming that the alleged Death Eaters had him under the Imperius Curse to make him attack his poor wife. Unfortunately for him, we at the Ministry are well aware that werewolves are impervious to the Imperius Curse. Not every crime can be blamed on the Death Eaters and You-know-who." _

Remus found it disturbing that even ranking officials in the Ministry were referring to Voldemort as _You-know-who_, but not nearly as disturbing as the claims of the werewolf in question. Was it true that Death Eaters were actively recruiting werewolves? Had Death Eaters gone so far as to free the man at full moon and bring about the death of the man's wife, in essence using him to kill her because he had refused to join them? Remus shuddered at the very thought. What a horrible thing to face.

As the days went on, Remus kept an eye on the paper for news of the ongoing investigations. Sheridan seemed to have vanished into thin air and if Randolph was being framed, it was being done by people who knew what they were doing. Suddenly, a cousin of Mrs. Randolph came forward with claims that the murdered wife had planned to leave her husband, being unable to face life with a werewolf any longer. Randolph, of course, insisted that this was not true, but Remus knew Randolph was doomed, even if his claims were true. It was his word against a normal witch's. No one was going to believe the werewolf.

Although the news did not bode well, Remus tried not to dwell on it. He managed to push it into the back of his mind with the help of his friends and Lindi.

Soon, March was upon him and with it came his seventeenth birthday. But first, the day of the Hogwarts Anniversary Field Day Competition finally arrived.


	47. Friends Like These Part 1

**Chapter 47 Friends Like These (Part 1)**

_A/N: I know it has been ages since my last update. I'm sorry. I wish I had both parts of this chapter (which exceeded the chapter word limit on MNFF and had to be divided) ready to post. I was going to wait for it to be complete and I'm very close to finishing the second part, but I figured I might as well post what I have and spread it out a little. Hopefully, the second half will be ready soon. I hope you aren't terribly let down with this after the long wait._

_Thank you to those who have reviewed. I'm so ashamed that I haven't responded. My life has been crazy, but that is no excuse to neglect you, when you are kind enough to take the time to review. Please forgive me. I really do appreciate it and it is wonderful encouragement for me to keep writing, even when I hit a chapter like this one that causes me headaches. So thank you very much!_

_A/N 2: A huge thank you to the wonderful Marauderswolf for beta reading and putting up with my whining about this chapter. _

_A/N 3: Wiles: __disarming or seductive manners, devices, or procedures used to trick, entice or lure._

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When Remus and his friends went down to breakfast, the ceiling in the Great Hall was blanketed with drifting grey clouds, but streaks of morning sunlight were starting to break through. It looked like it was going to be a nice day for early March and the Field Day Celebration, and there was a current of excitement in the air.

"I really don't see why you won't tell me what you'll have her do if you win," Remus said to James, as he spread a generous dollop of marmalade on a crumpet.

For days, James had been refusing to let Remus in on his plans for Lindi, should she lose their challenge.

"Surely you don't think I'd tell her if you didn't want me to," Remus continued.

James paused with a spoonful of porridge halfway to his mouth. "You keep saying _if_ I win. If you have no more confidence in me than that, you'll just have to wait to find out." He shoveled the spoon into his mouth.

"I think you won't tell me because you think I'd try to stop you," Remus said. "Which is ridiculous, because when have I ever been able to stop you doing anything before?"

"Never," mumbled Sirius out the side of his mouth. He paused long enough to swallow a mound of mash. "So why worry about it? Maybe you're better off not knowing."

"As they say, ignorance is bliss," Peter added.

"So it _is _something awful that I'd try to stop," Remus said.

"We didn't say that," said Sirius. He shifted his gaze to James. "Think he'd try to stop it?"

"I wouldn't if I were him," James said, straight faced. He looked to Peter. "What about you, Wormtail?"

Peter stopped cutting the slab of bacon on his plate and seemed to consider the question for a moment. "I might halfheartedly try, but only so I could tell her I did."

"Ah, clever, and a very good point," said Sirius, nodding his approval. "So it's better all around that you don't know, Moony. This way, you aren't even tempted to tell her and you have deniability. You don't even have to _pretend_ to try to stop it."

"We're actually doing you a favor," said James.

"A _big_ favor," Peter added and the three burst out sniggering.

Remus watched them, growing more suspicious by the instant. If he needed that much deniability, he didn't even want to imagine what the three had cooked up for Lindi. He really hoped it wasn't going to be so awful that she never spoke to any of them again, including _him_, deniability or not. There was always a bit of guilt by association where the Marauders were concerned.

"Besides, you won't tell us what she'd make _me_ do," said James. "Assuming she had a snowball's chance in hell of winning, of course," he added quickly.

"That's because I can keep a secret," Remus said, making note of the fact that Peter could clearly keep a secret, too, since he had also been present when Lily suggested that Lindi make James go bald for a day. "I wouldn't tell _her_ what _you_ have planned either," Remus insisted.

"I don't know," said Sirius sounding doubtful. "She probably has better ways of making you talk than Prongs has." He waggled his brows suggestively.

Remus chose to ignore the insinuation. "Yes, I suppose she might brew up some Veritaserum and slip it into my tea. She is quite good at Potions," he said sarcastically and reached for his pumpkin juice.

"Nah, Veritaserum takes too long to brew," Sirius said wryly. "Besides, why would she risk getting caught using a controlled potion when all she has to do is break you with her feminine wiles?"

Remus nearly snorted pumpkin juice out his nose. "Her _feminine wiles_?" he gasped, wiping a bit of juice from his lips.

"Oh, come on, Moony; don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," said Sirius.

Remus certainly knew what Sirius was talking about, but that Sirius would actually use the term _feminine wiles_ with a straight face struck him as rather hilarious.

"Her _wiles_?" Remus repeated incredulously. "You think she would vex me into telling her with her _wiles_?"

"Don't pretend it's so impossible," said James. "We all know Lindi's _wiles_ make you as barmy as Peeves on a Billywig high. Admit it; they're quite _persuasive_." James twisted in his seat and looked across the hall. As if on cue, Lindi rose from her table and started walking towards the end of it. When she stopped to talk to Emmeline Vance, James turned back. "They're rather spectacular, really."

In his astonishment, Remus' mouth nearly fell open at James' lack of subtlety.

"Yes, quite," said Peter, his own eyes still watching Lindi. "I can't say I blame you. With _wiles_ like Lindi's, I'd give in, too. She has such lovely, _big_—"

"Do you _mind_?" Remus said, glaring at Peter, positively dumbfounded that his friends would talk about Lindi that way. Remus always figured Peter _thought_ about it; he'd caught Peter gawking at her _wiles_ before, but that was different to saying it out loud.

Peter stopped staring at Lindi and turned to Remus. "_What_?" he asked, lifting his hands off the table and shrugging as though he had no idea what was wrong with talking about the _wiles_ of one of his best mate's girlfriend. "She _does_. You know she does. I can't help noticing."

"Yes, I know she does, but I'd appreciate it if you'd at least _try_," said Remus. "Or at the very least, you could _pretend_ to try, thank you."

"Why should he pretend he doesn't notice?" asked James. "It's not as though they aren't there for the whole world to see."

Remus gaped at James. He really couldn't believe the nerve of his friends sometimes. Knowing they were just trying to get a reaction, he decided the best thing to do was simply ignore them. He reached for a pasty.

"Yeah, Moony, _why_?" Peter continued to goad him. "What's wrong with complimenting her?"

Remus stared at them for another moment. He knew he really should ignore them, but against his better judgment, he gave Peter a response. "Somehow, I don't think Lindi would find it very complimentary. Joking or not, don't you think it's rather uncouth to talk about a mate's girlfriends'—_breasts_ like that?" Remus lowered his voice on the word breasts, but he had abandoned the charade of discussing her _wiles_.

All three of his friends blinked in astonishment, acting as though they'd never heard anyone speak about such things, which was positively ludicrous. Of course, _they_ were probably more likely to refer to them as her _bristols_.

Peter very dramatically acted taken aback, his jaw dropping. "Her _breasts_?" he gasped quietly, as if he could hardly say the word. "Crikey, Moony, I was talking about her _eyes_!"

It was Remus' turn to blink. A couple of second years sitting near them started giggling.

"_Sheeesh_!" James pretended to be indignant. "What kind of blokes do you think we are?"

"Blimey, Moony," said Sirius, smirking in mock disgust. "You really need to get your mind out of the gutter."

Feeling his face redden, Remus opened his mouth to tell them they were all well and truly full of crap, and that they knew it. _Her eyes my…_ But he stopped, and instead, breathed deeply, completely exasperated. They had masterfully led him straight into that ambush with true Marauder expertise and were clearly well pleased with themselves, as evidenced by their raucous sniggering.

Unable to stop himself, Remus started to laugh with them.

"What's so funny?"

His laughter died and his face started to burn even more when he looked up and met Lindi's eyes. Why on earth did _he_ feel guilty? _He_ hadn't been the one making the innuendo. Of course, he had quickly jumped to the conclusion that it was her breasts they were talking about, as if it couldn't have been anything else. Looking into her eyes, Remus thought Peter _could_ have been talking about them; they _were_ lovely and big. Though he knew full well Peter had been talking about exactly what Remus had thought.

When no one else spoke up, Sirius stopped laughing long enough to answer Lindi's question. "Moony's just feeling a little _wily_."

This had the effect of making Peter and James snigger even more. Remus briefly wondered if they would ever grow up, but found himself struggling to keep from laughing again, too. They were such a bad influence on him.

Lindi's eyebrows rose in question.

"It's just a stupid inside joke, Lindi," Remus said, throwing his friends a warning glance. The last thing he wanted was to have to explain why he was laughing at jokes about her—_wiles_. "They're just being—_themselves_."

Looking as though that was definitely explanation enough, Lindi nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm going up to get my broomstick and heading down to the pitch. Can I walk down with you?"

"Where's Leanna?" Sirius asked.

"She's walking down with Graham Milliken. He invited her to the after-party with him," Lindi said, seeming rather pleased that Sirius had given her the opportunity to offer this bit of information.

However, if Sirius was jealous or upset, he was far too cool to let on. "Yeah, that's what she said last night," he responded casually. Lindi looked at him blankly, as if she were unsure how or even if she should say more.

While Leanna and Sirius were obviously still seeing one another, Remus had noticed that things had seemed to chill a bit between the two, ever since Sirius and Fiona had gotten together in Hogsmeade. Whether the cooling was Sirius' doing, Leanna's, or both, Remus couldn't say. He hoped it was more to do with Leanna putting Sirius in his place.

Remus liked Leanna and thought she was a fairly good match for Sirius. He figured she might just be making the point that what was good for the goose was good for the gander, and Leanna, like Sirius, would have no trouble finding others to date.

Whatever her motivation, Remus was glad that Leanna wasn't just sitting by and pining away after Sirius. That certainly wouldn't be a successful tactic to try to win Sirius over. It might serve to build his already over-large ego, but probably not his respect.

"So, will you wait for me?" Lindi asked, turning back to Remus, obviously deciding to let the topic drop.

"Of course. We need to get our cloaks. We'll meet you in the Entrance Hall," said Remus.

"Yes, and I have to get my broomstick, too," said James. "Are you ready for our challenge?"

Lindi's face drained of color, but she squared her shoulders and said, "_Yes_," though she didn't sound terribly convincing. Lindi had always been an awful liar.

On the other hand, James sounded quite confident. "Excellent!" "Let's go then."

As expected, the air was quite brisk when they walked out onto the castle steps a little while later, but there were large patches of blue sky visible through the clouds now, and the sun was warm on their faces.

When they reached the pitch, Lindi, James, and Sirius made their way on to the field where the other participants were congregating. Remus and Peter climbed the stairs into the stands. The bleachers had been moved so that all four houses' were lined up, end to end, making one long row that faced east, across the pitch field and out over the Forbidden Forest. Stations for the various competitions had been set up around the grounds in front of them.

When they reached the top, they spotted Lily sitting with Hestia Jones and Mary MacDonald. The girls had excellent seats near the center of the field, just to the side of the announcer's booth, and Remus and Peter went to join them as the stands began rapidly filling.

"So, have you seen Lindi this morning?" Lily asked when they'd settled into their seats.

"We walked down together."

"Is she absolutely frantic about her wager with Potter?"

"I know she's nervous, but she seems to be holding up."

"May I have your attention?" Professor Dumbledore's voice rang out. "Welcome to the Hogwarts' Anniversary Celebration Field Day Competition. I think we are in for a very pleasant and entertaining day. Before we proceed with the competition, let us commemorate the founding of Hogwarts by singing the school song."

Since everyone was in quite good spirits, voices sang out with unusual gusto—but still very little harmony. Finally, the song was finished and the Headmaster spoke again. "Thank you for that beautiful rendition, a truly glorious way to open our celebration. And now, without further ado, I turn the festivities over to Professor Flitwick, who will be officiating the events and Mr. Deevers who will be our announcer. Take it away, Professor."

The tiny form of Professor Flitwick emerged from the throng of competing students and stood before them with his wand to his throat, casting _Sonorus_ so that his voice could be heard all around.

"Thank you, Headmaster," he said in his squeaky voice. "First, I will go over the rules for today's competition. Thirty-two contestants will be competing in twelve events. Each competitor could sign up to participate in up to five of the events, and must compete in at least three. Eleven of the events will be worth ten points each for first place, five for second, three for third, two for fourth and one point for fifth. Any place below that earns no points. However, the last event of the day will be the Obstacle Coarse. Due to the length and nature of this event, it will be worth double points."

As the professor went on, Remus wondered exactly what he meant by "the nature" of the Obstacle Coarse. It most likely meant the _danger_ of it to account for the significantly higher points awarded.

"Do you all understand the rules?" Professor Flitwick asked the group of contestants. When he was given the affirmative nod from all, he said, "Very well, our first event will be the Broomstick Dash. "Mr. Deevers, you may proceed."

"Thank you, Professor," said Martin, taking over the announcers post. "Our competitors for the Broomstick Dash will be, Aubrey Bertram—" There was some applause from a large section of Slytherins. "Felicia Dagget—" The Slytherins became a bit louder. Then, "Lindi Dellington—" As the professor read off the next few names, Remus couldn't decide if he was annoyed or if he actually enjoyed the cheers, wolf whistling and catcalls that resonated throughout the stands when Lindi walked out onto the field. There was something rather satisfying about it. "James Potter—" Another very loud roar arose from the stands. A group of young girls sitting near them squealed with delight, drowning out the announcement of the last competitor, Emmeline Vance.

"Competitors, take your positions," said Professor Flitwick.

Lindi and the others soared overhead to the starting line that had been drawn in the air by Professor Flitwick.

"The games are about to get underway," said Martin excitedly. "May the best man—or _woman_ win!"

The students in the stands roared their approval. Remus found himself caught up in the excitement as he watched Lindi and James race to the starting line ahead of the other contestants, some of whom were still removing their outer robes for more aerodynamic flight. As James and Lindi waited for the others to get into place, they hovered, exchanging glances. James made his broom jump, as though he was just barely able to stop it from taking off. Remus knew James was trying to intimidate Lindi. He hoped it wasn't working.

"Oh, just look at the arrogant prat!" said Lily. "I hope Lindi beats him so badly. I really wish she had borrowed Hestia's broom."

"Why?" asked Peter. "Is something wrong with hers?"

"No, it's fine, but it isn't a Nimbus1500 like Potter's," said Lily. "Leanna and I tried to get her to borrow Hestia's, just to even things up, but Lindi wouldn't hear of it. Apparently, she's really attached to hers."

"Well, a Nimbus 1000 _is_ a very good broom," said Peter.

"Yes, but it still isn't a _1500_," said Lily. "But Leanna said Lindi's mum gave it to her and she just won't fly anything else."

Remus had to agree with this assessment. Lindi really did love her broomstick. She took it almost everywhere. She had even brought it with her to his house over Christmas. There had been immense affection and pride in her voice when she told him how her mum had managed to acquire the expensive broomstick on a seamstress' salary. Lindi's mum had bargained with a client to buy it when the wealthy woman had complained about her son managing only three O.W.L.s, because he had spent more time on the Quidditch Pitch than doing his schoolwork. Lindi wasn't sure how many Galleons her mum had parted with, but her mother had bartered her sewing services to cover the rest. Remus recalled how Lindi's eyes had grown misty when she told him about the many late evenings her mum had worked, altering expensive robes on her own time, in order to purchase the broom for her obviously beloved daughter.

Knowing of her feelings for that broom, Remus was certain that, so long as it could still carry her, Lindi never would fly another.

Finally, all the contenders were in place and Professor Flitwick raised his wand in the air. "Flyers, take your mark!" With a loud crack, green sparks flew from the end of his wand and the racers shot forward.

"And they're off!" cried Martin.

The Nimbus 1500 showed its amazing acceleration as James quickly took the lead, followed very closely by Felicia Dagget, who also flew a Nimbus 1500. Lindi quickly found herself in third.

However, Felicia was not quite as skilled a flyer as James and she started to fall behind as the race went on. Lindi, while at a disadvantage from the slower start of her own broom, was such a good flyer that she began to overcome the initial gap. Soon, she had overtaken Felicia and was gaining on James as he lost ground at each turn. Being heavier, he could not cut them quite as tightly as Lindi and she drew ever nearer at each turn of the flight track.

As they neared the final turn of the race, James looked over his shoulder.

"Don't look now, Potter, but Dellington's gaining on you!" cried Martin.

James turned forward and laid down closer to his broom. Lindi was practically glued to hers, cutting down on the air resistance. They came out of the turn with barely half a broomstick's length separating them. James couldn't resist looking again and the move slowed him even more.

Unfortunately for Lindi, the race was too short for her to overcome the advantage James had received from the speed of his start and the great acceleration on the straight-aways. He stretched out and broke through the finish line, edging Lindi out by a mere few feet as the spectators roared in the stands.

"Potter wins!" shouted Martin. "Earning himself ten points! Dellington comes in second, taking five!"

Remus finally let out the breath he'd been holding. While he was disappointed Lindi had been unable to defeat James in a race of pure speed, Remus thought that she still had a very real chance in the Obstacle Course, due to the nature of that race. She clearly had the advantage in turns and tight spaces. Remus hoped she realized this and wouldn't become discouraged.

Martin announced the last of the racers as they came across the finish line. "Vance sneaks by Dagget for a surprise third place finish, earning three! Dagget will have to settle for two, and Bertram takes the last point. Well done all! Next up is the Bludger Bash. Competing to see who can hit it the farthest will be Julian Avery, Sirius Black—"

Whatever Martin said next was drowned out by the gang of girls sitting right behind him. They jumped to their feet and shrieked excitedly. Martin turned to them and raised his voice. "Alright girls, if you'll hold your applause, we might finish this sometime today." The girls made faces and giggled, but quieted just the same. Martin turned back around, rolling his eyes. "Thank you! Moving on… Danny Carlson, Terry Evers, Robert Hardister, Morton Lambert, and Evan Rosier."

More squealing… It was starting to become very annoying. Down below, Evan flexed his muscles underneath his tightly fitted Quidditch robes.

_Arrogant prat_, crossed Remus' mind, but the girls only shrieked more.

"At least they're engaged in inter-house hero worship," said Lily, shaking her head at the silly young girls.

Remus tried to ignore them and watch the competition. A Galleon was flipped to determine the order in which the participants would compete. One after the other, each of the competitors stepped up to the hovering Bludger and hit it as hard as they could. All of them were Beaters on their respective House teams and were, therefore, quite adept at hitting. When Sirius finally stepped up, batting last, Evan Rosier was in the lead with a considerable distance of forty-two yards, quite a long way to hit a lead ball. It would take Sirius' best effort to surpass that.

Working in Sirius' favor was the fact that Evan had hit his longest shot out of bounds and had been given a five yard penalty. Sirius needed thirty-seven yards, inbounds, to win. The stands fell silent when he was ready to hit. He swung the bat hard. With a loud CRACK, the Bludger sailed….

"Thirty-four yards!"

Not good enough.

The Bludger flew back into position. Sirius squared up to it once more. He swung. It came to rest with a dull thud.

Forty-three yards, but slightly out of bounds.

Sirius had one more shot. He shook his arms to loosen the muscles and took a deep breath, stepped up to the Bludger and swung once more.

Remus held his breath with the rest of the spectators. The Bludger shot low and straight. Sirius hit it masterfully, not sacrificing an inch by hitting it high in an arc.

"Thirty-nine yards, straight down the middle! With Rosier's five yard penalty, Black wins!"

Remus cheered with his friends. Down on the field, James congratulated Sirius, happy his friend had won, even if it put Sirius ahead of James himself. James would rather lose the entire tournament to Sirius than have a Marauder lose to the arrogant Slytherin, in even just one event.

The games continued. Next up was the Quaffle Dodge. Remus found himself groaning out loud with the rest of the spectators when Fifth-year Gryffindor, Travis Phelps, was hit squarely in the face with a Quaffle that was thrown fiercely by Julian Avery. Blood gushed from Travis' nose, but he kept flying, trying to dodge the rest of the Quaffles that were thrown at him. He did well enough for fourth place.

Since Lindi, James, and Sirius were not competing in this event, Remus was pleased to see Hallam win and Emmeline take second. Although Lily seemed happy enough that her current boyfriend had won, she obviously didn't feel the urge to participate in the rash of hero-worshipping that was clearly infecting some of the younger girls. Rather than shrieking like a crazed banshee, Lily merely clapped like the normal person Remus knew her to be when Hallam's first place was announced.

Sadly, Julian Avery managed to take third place, but just barely. His flying wasn't nearly as strong as his throwing. Still, it earned him three more points and many of the Gryffindors around Remus jeered, including Peter. Remus didn't join them, though he felt Julian had earned the disdain. Travis had been lucky that he only came out with a broken nose. It had looked like Julian was trying to take his head off with that Quaffle.

After the Quaffle Dodge was the Snitch Seek. Fourteen Snitches were released and whoever caught the most won. Lindi managed four for first place.

_That should help build her confidence,_ Remus thought.

The Quaffle Volley came down to another final between Sirius and Evan Rosier, prompting Peter to lean over and whisper to Remus, "Great, those girls are going to wet themselves from the excitement." Remus had to admit the noise was ear piercing. Fortunately, it died down once the match got underway.

Sirius and Evan's experience batting Bludgers in Quidditch was perfect training. Watching them hit the red ball back and forth reminded Remus of a Muggle game he had watched on a thing called a television at his grandparents' neighbors' house when he was a boy, Wimbledoon or something like that. Of course, the Muggles hadn't been on brooms.

Sirius and Evan flew all over the sky, chasing the Quaffle. They kept a volley going for more than five minutes, until in his enthusiasm to beat Sirius, Evan hit the Quaffle so hard, its leather cover split at the seams and dropped to the pitch floor. Professor Flitwick repaired the Quaffle, and the volley continued until Sirius finally outmaneuvered Evan, changing the Quaffle's direction at the last second.

"And Black wins!" cried Martin, announcing Sirius' second victory of the day.

After that, there was an intermission for lunch, and the entire school had a picnic on the lawn. Then the competition resumed.

James won first place in the Quaffle Shoot while Leanna's date, Graham took second. Sirius won his third top place of the day in the Bludger Bullseye.

The games went on well into the afternoon. Finally, as the sun started to sink ever lower, the competitions were drawing to a close and it was time for the Obstacle Course. Since it was worth double points, most of the competitors had signed up for it. Two would race at a time and, as expected, James and Lindi paired up. Lots were cast to determine the order in which they would all fly. Having been set to race ninth, it was going to take a while for Lindi and James to go, and Remus found it hard to care how the earlier racers were faring.

He was too busy watching Lindi to see if he could spot her getting more nervous. His attention was finally caught when Felicia Dagget's arm was broken during the Bludger Bombardment. He decided Lindi was holding up fairly well and started paying a little more attention to the other racers.

The course was marked with streamers of red light. It included a maze built on the Pitch floor, and hoops high in the air. There were tall pylons that the competitors had to fly around and there were closely spaced horizontal bars to fly between. These had to be maneuvered through without knocking either from its invisible support. Lindi held some advantage over James in these parts of the course. Unfortunately, the Bludger Bombardment would probably slow her down.

Part of the course crossed over a section of the Forbidden Forest, dipped down into the trees, presumably weaving through the trunks and whatever else might be there, before popping back up. It seemed rather dangerous, since it was always fairly dark in the forest, even when the sun was high. As reckless as Lindi could be when flying under normal circumstances, Remus found himself becoming more anxious for her _safety_ than he was for her wager with James. So far, no one had been _badly_ injured.

Remus noted the presence of the school nurse standing alongside Professor Flitwick as they watched the competition. Apparently they were taking precautions. Remus didn't know if that comforted him or made him _more_ nervous.

Finally, Martin announced, "Next up is Lindi Dellington versus James Potter!"

Thus far, the injuries included minor cuts and scrapes acquired by brushing too closely to brambles and branches in the forest, Felicia Dagget's broken arm, and one concussion. Michael Asbury, of Hufflepuff had been knocked unconscious when he failed to pull out of a dive in time. Madam Pomfrey managed to wake him easily and slathered a heavy layer of bruise-healing past on the nasty knot that could be seen all the way from the stands forming on his forehead.

Prior to flying up to the starting marker, Remus saw Lindi speak with Madam Pomfrey. Lindi smiled uneasily, nodded, and tucked something under the neck of her robes. Remus figured they must have been given some sort of emergency calling device for the forest, though so far, nothing bad had occurred there.

_That's good_… _Of course, she would need to be conscious to activate it_.

Remus felt his sweaty palms clenched in his fists as he watched her fly into place at the starting line.

"Oh, _Merlin_, I hope she wins!" Lily cried in excitement. "I want to see Potter take some of his own medicine for a change!"

Lily's enthusiasm caused Remus to chuckle nervously. It felt good to break the tension a bit.

Lindi and James hovered briefly before the green sparks erupted from Professor Flitwick's wand, signaling the start of their race. Again, James had the advantage of the initial burst of speed, but Lindi caught him during the Snitch Pick. Her Seeker training paid off and she captured hers a full minute before James, and managed to put a little distance between them through the tight turns of the maze.

However, as Remus had feared, James made up considerable ground during the Bludger Bombardment. Lindi failed to hit the Bludger hard enough to send it into the neutralizing zone and it returned for her twice, preventing her from continuing until James had caught up. Remus figured her only hope was to get far enough ahead of James going through the hoops and forest that he would not be able to catch her.

Lindi flew like the proverbial bat out of hell, zigzagging through hoops, swerving around the poles, and ducking between bars. It was positively brilliant. It was the very reason Remus had made the snow globe for her. He could see the frustration on James' face as he fell behind. When James knocked a bar from its unseen support and it fell to the pitch floor, he swore so loudly everyone in the stands could hear. That penalty would cost him five seconds off his final time.

Lily laughed gleefully, but Professor McGonagall pulled Martin's microphone over and shouted. "Watch your mouth, Potter!" And the rest of the stands roared.

Lindi zoomed out of the last hoop and towards the trees, with a slight lead. Remus knew she was going to do it; she was actually going to beat James Potter. Once she got into the forest, she could increase the lead so that James wouldn't have time to catch her on the straightaway to the finish line. Lily cheered wildly.

But something was wrong. Lindi was slowing down, hesitating. What on earth was she doing?

"What's she _doing_?" cried Lily. She jumped up and shouted at the top of her lungs, "_GO_!" Remus and half the stands joined her.

Lindi appeared to be listening and she sped up again, but she did something that would cost her precious time. Rather than making a straight line over the trees towards the entrance into the forest, she shot up into the air and flew twenty feet above the tree tops. James, on the other hand, gained on her as he skimmed the trees so closely the limbs swayed in the wind he created. He was no more than a second behind when Lindi had to dive steeply to enter into the forest. James followed, only inches from her broom bristles.

"What was that all about?" asked Lily throwing her hands up. "She had the race won!"

Remus shrugged, feeling just as baffled. Had she gotten confused about the direction of the course? Why on earth had she flown so high when James had gone straight over the tree tops? But before Remus could formulate an explanation, the crowd roared again. Lindi had popped up out of the trees, rising high overhead again, but James soared out of the trees only moments after her. Lindi was still in the lead, but James was gaining fast with that Nimbus 1500. Lily, Peter and Remus all cheered wildly. It was going to be close.

But Lindi was going too high again. James soared across the trees while she was still climbing above them. Once past the edge of the forest, James sped across the field straight for the finish line. Lindi, on the other hand, still had to make a descent. With his faster broom and considerable flying ability, the extra time it took Lindi to come back down to the level of the finish line gave James all the room he needed. With a five second penalty to make up, he took no chances, resisting the urge to look back, even though it wouldn't have made a difference. Lindi leaned forward with all her might to spur her broom forward, but there was no way she would catch James now, even with James' penalty.

"Potter wins!" cried Martin.

Lily moaned in disappointment when James broke through the yellow band of light. Remus stood stunned as he watched Lindi follow him over the finish line and slow to a hover, covering her face with her hands.

_Crap!_ Remus wanted to shout out loud. What on earth would James make her do now?

Whatever it was, James was fairly ecstatic about it. He cheered as hard for beating Lindi as he had for beating Julian Avery in the Quaffle Shoot. Actually, so did Sirius. He met James on the field and slapped him on the back, shaking his hand in congratulations as if they had not been competing against each other, as well. Sirius was completely unconcerned that James had beat his own time and taken the lead in the entire competition.

Now that Remus noticed it, Peter didn't look any too disappointed that Lindi had lost, either. Hadn't Peter said he wanted Lindi to win? What did James have in mind for her that made Peter change his mind?

Remus turned and gave Peter a hard look. "What is James going to make her do?"

"Aw, come on, Moony, you know they'd kill me if I told."

Remus scowled, but let Peter off the hook.

"Well, bullocks!" Lily cried. "I really wanted to see Potter bald!"

She dropped down on the bleacher heavily. Remus and the others joined her. They weren't terribly interested in the outcome of the last few heats of the competition now. Remus watched Lindi walk over and sit on a bench. A couple of people spoke to her, but she didn't seem cheered. Rather, she leaned down and put her head in her hands looking slightly sickened. She had come so close….

When the last of the competitors had finished their race and their times tallied, Lindi was bumped back to fourth place in the obstacle course. If Remus' calculations were correct, James' first place finish secured the overall victory for him.

However, as they all walked back towards the castle together, James seemed less excited about his winning the Field Day than about watching Lindi squirm about losing her bet with him.

"Okay, so what do I have to do? I want to get this over with," Lindi said dismally.

"Can't tell you just yet," said James.

"What do you mean, you can't tell me? You can't drag this out any longer. I'm sick of worrying about it," Lindi insisted.

"Well, you'll have to worry a little while longer," said James. "Timing is very important."

"Well, at least tell me what it is."

"Sorry, but I can't do that just yet. We're still working out the specifics."

"Alright, then just tell me the basics," she said, becoming frustrated. "What are you going to make me do?"

"If I tell you now, it'll ruin the surprise."

And the argument continued all the way into the castle until Lindi left them in disgust and headed to Ravenclaw tower to get cleaned up for the party.

"It really isn't fair to keep her in suspense like this," Remus said as they continued on to Gryffindor.

"Eh, it's part of the fun," said Sirius.

"How long do you plan to torture her?"

"Just a couple of days," said James.

_A couple of days_… In a couple of days, it would be Remus' birthday. He wondered if that held some significance.

"So, are you still keeping it from me, too?"

"Yes," said James without further explanation.

It occurred to Remus that whatever it was, it might very well affect him as well as Lindi. Would it be related to his birthday? Memories of long past games of truth or dare flashed clearly in his mind. Would they force her to do something like kiss him in front of the entire school? That was a bit juvenile, but still, knowing how uncomfortable Lindi was with public displays of affection, they just might do it. Of course, they had to know it would be almost as embarrassing for Remus to have so much attention thrust upon him. He had already made them promise not to throw a big party for him, even if it was his coming-of-age year.

Nonetheless, the opportunity to embarrass more than just Lindi would only add to their fun. The Marauders had always felt that the more humiliation to go around, the merrier. Since this would be considered all in fun rather than true humiliation, they would see it as fair game to embarrass even one of their own.

Despite the embarrassment he would no doubt feel, Remus was confident that he could probably bear having Lindi kiss him in front of the entire school. After all, it hadn't exactly been torture that day in front of the Slytherins.

With his mind put at some ease, Remus let the subject drop. Arguing with his stubborn friends was getting him nowhere anyway. Besides, they _were_ his friends. They knew how he felt about Lindi. They wouldn't do anything to damage that.

_Would they?_

_No, _he told himself_. Of course not, stop worrying about it! _


	48. Friends Like These Part 2

**Friends Like These (Part 2)**

The Field Day trophies were awarded after another delicious Hogwarts feast. Having competed in only three of the possible five events, Lindi hadn't accumulated enough points to finish any higher than ninth place. However, Sirius managed to edge out Evan Rosier for the third time that day, to take second place, and as Remus had figured, James came away the overall winner. As James stood up on the dais and held the trophy triumphantly over his head, Lily plopped down on the bench next to Remus.

"Look at him. This is just what he needs—something else to bloat that oversized ego."

Remus smiled and nodded his agreement, noting that Lily's attitude was only half serious. A little smile curled at the corner of her lips while she watched James very cockily prancing about with the trophy, encouraging more applause.

Professor Dumbledore permitted James to bask in his glory for a few moments. The Headmaster's mouth curled at the corner in much the way Lily's did. Finally, he stood and retook the floor.

"Very well done, Mr. Potter! Congratulations on an impressive victory. I'd like to congratulate all of our competitors. You have represented yourselves and Hogwarts well."

He then had the students rise and the tables were pushed to the sides, leaving room for people to mingle and mill about together. It was a very informal party, similar to the ones held within House common rooms following a Quidditch victory, only on a much larger scale.

A wireless was brought in and there was dancing. As he had at the ball, Remus fumbled clumsily, staring at his feet so as not to trample Lindi's toes. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to risk crippling her for very long. He had prefect patrols to perform, having traded duty with Hallam McHewn. Remus had been pleased to find someone to trade this night in order to have his birthday free. He didn't really care that much for large parties anyway.

As the time drew nearer for Remus to make his patrols, he was relieved when Lindi suggested they stop dancing, if one could call his lumbering about dancing. He was more than happy to leave the dance floor and join his friends for a while.

The Marauders were seated in a far corner of the Hall and had their heads together, bent over an opened box. They quickly replaced the lid and Sirius slipped it behind him as soon as they noticed Lindi and Remus approaching. Remus watched them suspiciously, wondering if they were hiding it from Lindi, from him, or possibly both. He thought it might be a birthday gift or possibly something related to Lindi's wager.

Of course, it could be entirely unrelated to anything like that. Maybe they were up to something else, possibly another prank like the Babbling potion at the Crystal Ball? In any case, they certainly acted like they were up to no good.

It occurred to Remus, for possibly the millionth time, that he had friends that simply couldn't be trusted to behave themselves. The thought brought a small smile to his face.

"What are you grinning at, Moony?" asked Peter.

"Nothing," Remus said, not wishing to embarrass himself—_or them—_by letting on just how much he loved being part of the Marauders. He and Lindi sat down with them.

"Did you have fun _dancing_?" Sirius asked, not even masking the facetious tone. The smirk on his face indicated that he was well aware Remus hadn't. That or he was indicating that he didn't think very much of Remus' ability to dance.

"I just wish I was better at it," Remus said, casting an apologetic glance at Lindi. He didn't want her to think he didn't _want_ to dance with her, especially knowing how she enjoyed it. She seemed to understand and smiled.

"So, what's that you're hiding?" Lindi asked as she turned back to his friends.

"What makes you think it's any of your business?" Sirius answered, though his tone was light.

"_Excuse_ me," Lindi said. "I just thought it might be something to do with my wager with James."

"Maybe it is." James grinned, thoroughly enjoying the torment he was causing her.

"Does that mean you can tell me now?" she asked eagerly.

James looked at her thoughtfully for a long moment, and then turned to Sirius and Peter as though looking for recommendations.

"She probably should have time to prepare," Sirius said reasonably.

"And make sure it all works properly," Peter added.

_Hmm…._Remus decided it sounded like they had something much more complicated than simply having her kiss him publicly in mind.

"True," said James. "Alright, let's go down to one of the classrooms and we'll tell you."

The three stood, followed by Lindi and Remus; Sirius grabbed the box from behind him and they headed for the door.

Remus looked at his watch. "I have to go do my rounds."

"Aw—too bad, Moony," said Sirius, with obvious insincerity. "See you later, then."

None of them acted like they were genuinely sorry that Remus was unable to join them as they headed down the corridor.

"I suppose I can start patrolling while walking with you. I can check the classrooms."

Lindi was the only one who seemed to think this was a good idea.

"Don't you have to check in with the Head Boy or Girl about trading with McHewn or something?" Peter asked, glancing at Remus over his shoulder.

"I've already spoken to Phil," Remus answered. "Why do I get the feeling you lot are trying to get rid of me?"

"Because we _are_, why aren't you taking the hint?" asked Sirius.

"Maybe you're being too subtle," Remus said sarcastically as they reached an unused classroom and found it unlocked.

"Well, then let us be more plain," said James, holding the door open and motioning Lindi inside.

"Go away, Moony!" Sirius, Peter and James said in unison and then filed into the room.

Lindi looked apprehensive as James shut the door in Remus' face with a click.

Rather than getting on with his patrols, as he should, Remus stood quietly listening. It took a great deal of control to resist the urge to place an eavesdropping charm on the door. Of course, he still hadn't fully mastered the spell, so it probably wouldn't have done him any good.

Still, he could hear their muffled voices and after a couple of minutes, he heard a groan that could only be Lindi's. It sounded to Remus that it was more a "you've got to be kidding me" sort of groan, rather than one issued out of fear or anger, which he found somewhat reassuring.

But shortly, a shrill "_WHAT_?" blared from behind the door. "You can _NOT_ be _serious_! I am _NOT_—"

Her voice was abruptly muted. One of his friends had obviously put an Imperturbable Charm on the door. Remus knew he might as well get going on his patrol, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away. His curiosity was about to drive him crazy, when suddenly, the door was jerked open and Lindi emerged, face flushed.

"I can not _believe_ them! _Arghhh_—I _hate_ your friends!" She shook her head and her mouth opened and shut as if she couldn't find words to express herself. Finally, she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I am going to be the laughing stock of the entire school. Well, assuming I'm not expelled for—"

"Oy!" James interrupted. "You aren't supposed to say anything to anyone. That's part of the deal. Don't make me put a breach of contract hex on you."

"But—_arghh_!" She turned to Remus again. "I _hate_ your friends."

Remus felt confident that she didn't really mean it. She didn't seem truly angry, only very disturbed by whatever they were going to make her do.

_What on earth could it be?_ He certainly hoped they weren't making her kiss him, if this was her reaction to it.

"I am the world's biggest _idiot_, for ever making a wager with one of them!" She hung her head and groaned again in utter defeat. "_Ohhh_, maybe I'll just throw myself off the top of the tower instead."

"Better not," said James cheerfully. "You made a wager and lost. Now you have to pay up. Then you can jump off the tower, if you want."

Lindi glared at him. "And I thought _Sirius_ was the devil! But the whole lot of you are positively—just _awful_!"

James, Sirius and Peter stood grinning at her.

"Shall we go back to the party?" asked James.

"No!" Lindi snapped. "I'm just going back to the dormitory." She spun around and started to walk away.

Remus felt a little anxious. Was she more upset than he'd realized? Was she holding it against him, as well, just as he'd feared she might? Were his friends trying to ruin his birthday—his _life_?

He stood there staring after her, becoming more concerned with each heavy click of her heels. After a few steps, Lindi turned back. "Aren't you coming?"

Nearly sighing with relief, Remus escorted her back to Ravenclaw Tower. Along the way, he discovered that she would not tell him about the wager when he asked. He would have liked to know what they were up to. At the same time, though, he was pleased that she would keep his friends' secret, even from _him _and even when she was clearly annoyed with them. Lindi might be a lousy liar, but she wasn't completely incapable of keeping a confidence.

Considering the secret that he knew he had to soon tell her, Remus was very relieved by this. Granted, he wasn't putting a great deal of pressure on her to tell, but she hadn't told him straight away, even though she was very perturbed. She could have easily betrayed them in order to ruin whatever it was they had planned and possibly even get out of having to do it, but she didn't.

Suddenly, Remus remembered why she was in this predicament in the first place.

"Lindi, what happened during the race?" he asked. "You were ahead for a while."

Lindi groaned yet again. "Don't ask!"

"Alright, I'm sorry."

Lindi glanced over at him and smiled, looking ashamed. "No, _I'm_ sorry. It isn't your fault. I just—I feel like such an _idiot_," she said.

Remus stopped walking and pulled her hand to get her full attention. "What is it, Lindi? I won't laugh or anything."

Hesitating only briefly, she sighed. "I know you won't. It's just—I haven't told you how my mum died, have I?"

"No," he said, a little surprised. He certainly hadn't expected anything as serious as this. Suddenly, a rather guilty feeling gripped him, for not having ever asked.

"But I told you about how we used to go flying together, from the time I was very young, right?"

Remus nodded.

"Well, one of our favorite things to do was to race over the tree tops to see who could fly the fastest and closest to them, without touching any of the leaves. It was so much fun, popping up over the tall ones and dropping down into the clearings." Lindi stared off dreamily, lost in the bittersweet memory. She shook her head, snapping herself back to reality. "Anyway, one day, this flock of Hippogriffs flew out of the trees and…" She smiled ruefully.

"Hippogriffs attacked your mum?" Remus asked, stunned. He knew they would attack if provoked, but he'd never heard of one actively seeking out human prey.

"Not exactly. It wasn't quite like that," she answered. Her voice became flat and lifeless, as if the shock was still fresh. "It was more like something had scared them out of the woods, like a hound scattering geese. There must have been six or seven of them. One broke out of the trees right in front of Mum—she couldn't stop. It just—slashed out and…"

"Dear God, Lindi, you saw this?"

She nodded solemnly. "I know it's just their nature, but I really don't like Hippogriffs much."

And Remus had thought her feelings towards the Hippogriff over Christmas were just about his scars.

"I'm so sorry, Lindi."

She nodded again; her eyes glittered in the flickering torch light. "_Anyway_," she said with false bravado, trying to shrug off the sadness that had washed over her. "That's why I can't make myself fly over wooded areas. Isn't that absurd? As if a crazy fluke like that is likely to happen again. There aren't even that many Hippogriffs around."

"I don't think it's absurd. That would affect anyone. I can't imagine experiencing something like that." Actually, he _could_. Every night that he waited for the full moon, he imagined finding his friends ripped to shreds the next day. He pushed the awful thought to the back of his mind.

Lindi nodded to acknowledge his reassurance. He wasn't sure she believed him, but he didn't know what else to say.

Finally, she forced a chuckle. "Merlin, what must you think of me? First my grandmother and the _s-snakes_ and now, Mum and the Hippogriffs—I'm bad luck, Remus, and a bloody coward to boot."

"Don't, Lindi. You know it isn't your fault. And you're no coward."

"I couldn't fly over the trees," she argued. He opened his mouth to argue back, but she kept going. "And now I'm going to pay for my cowardice. _Ohhh_…" she groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You must wonder what on earth you are doing with me."

He reached up and pulled her hands away from her face, so she would look at him. Staring into her eyes, he wondered, not for the first time, how someone so beautiful and sweet could be so very insecure at times. _I've wondered what on earth _you_ are doing with _me_, but…._

"No, I have never wondered that."

His assertion seemed to make her eyes glisten even more. He thought she was going to burst into tears, but was pleasantly surprised. She stepped closer to him, tilting her face up toward his, an invitation to kiss her.

For a fraction of a second, somewhere in the back of his mind, he considered his patrols that weren't being made, but the way she was gazing up at him made it easy to shove the consideration further back.

Unfortunately, his reason for putting the patrols off was short lived. Knowing how Lindi felt about snogging in public, he should have known better than to stand in the middle of the hallway when a party was about to break up.

------------------------------------------------------------

The next day was very hectic. Remus found very little time to spend with Lindi. He saw her in Potions and Astronomy and passed her several times in the corridors. Each time, she informed him that she "hated" his friends. As usual, they were with him when she said so and took the declaration as quite a compliment.

The way she said it and their reaction went a long way to alleviate Remus' worries that she actually meant it. Lying in bed that night, Remus wondered if he might finally learn why she "hated" them the next day, his birthday—his _seventeenth_ birthday.

Remus awoke, feeling more alert than he normally did. It must have been the anticipation of what the day might hold.

_March 10, 1977…_He had come of age. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to tell if he felt any different.

It was quite exciting, really, but the reality of what this day _might_ have been swept over him unexpectedly. If not for Professor Dumbledore and Dumbledore's friend, Mr. Scamander, Remus would not have any expectation for the possibility of a _happy_ birthday. He would not be looking forward to another year at Hogwarts. His education would be coming to an abrupt and probably very ugly halt, as his records would have been unsealed today, and the whole of England would know of his _affliction_.

The thought made him a little queasy, but the queasiness was pushed aside when the overwhelming sense of gratitude towards the Headmaster surged through Remus' chest, making it a little hard to breathe. How very different his life would be right now, if not for the opportunities that Dumbledore had opened up to him.

No formal education, no Hogwarts, no Marauders, no Lindi….

Of course, even if his records remained sealed, Remus knew he would have to reveal his secret to Lindi soon and there was no guarantee she would stay in his life.

But he didn't want to think of that now. It was his birthday. He wanted to think about the good things, and Remus knew he would never be able to repay Professor Dumbledore for the chance to experience them. Never…

He finally slid quietly out from under his duvet and on to the floor where a pile of presents waited. Trying not to wake the others, he carefully tore into the package from his mum and dad. It was a wrist watch, which he'd been expecting, since it was tradition to give a man a watch when he came of age. He had been hoping Mum and Dad would uphold the tradition. He had desperately needed a new one for months. The crystal on his had been cracked during a Marauder outing ages ago and he had outgrown the band. It was so tight that it was starting to cut into his skin and there was no more room on the cracked leather to continue punching holes so that it would fit more comfortably around his wrist.

He inspected the new watch. It was actually nicer than he had hoped. He had always wanted one with stars in place of the hands, but even more impressive, the moon at the center actually displayed its position in the lunar cycle, not that Remus really needed reminding. His body was a rather good barometer of the waxing and waning of the moon. Still, it was always nice to have precision and it was a lovely watch. He wished he could see Mum and Dad to thank them. It must have taken at least a month's salary.

He strapped the new watch to his wrist, relishing the fit for a moment. Then, he went on to the next gift, a card from his grandparents. When he slipped it from the envelope, he found two shiny Galleons spellotaped to the inside of the card with a note.

_Dear Remus,_

_Happy seventeenth birthday! My, how time flies. _

_We haven't heard from you in a while. I figure that must mean you are still seeing your young Lindi. I know your mum isn't overly thrilled with it, but we think it is wonderful. You can use some of this money to treat yourselves when you get the chance. Take her to Hogsmeade or something. Just make sure you are keeping up with your class work._

_Listen to me, treating you like a child when you are a grown man, now. You do whatever you want with it. We're so proud of you._

_Love,_

_Granny and Pop_

Smiling, he slid the note back into the envelope and dropped the galleons in with it. Then, he reached for the next gift. It was a tube, like those in which one carries maps or posters. There was a tag stating _from Peter_. Remus started to remove the tube's end piece when a voice startled him.

"Happy birthday, Moony."

Remus looked up where Sirius was lying in bed, propped on his elbow, watching.

"So, how does it feel to be able to do magic anytime you want?" Sirius' voice was gravelly from sleep.

"And Apparate?" asked Peter, slipping his feet over the edge of his bed and into his slippers. He slid down onto the floor to join Remus.

"And buy Firewhiskey—_legally_?" James had climbed out of his own bed and onto Remus', so he was looking down over Remus' shoulder.

"I'm still not allowed to do magic in the hallways; I can't Apparate until I pass the test, and somehow, I doubt Firewhiskey will be quite as appealing when it isn't forbidden."

"Crap, Moony, don't be so bloody cheerful," said Sirius, finally sitting up against his headboard.

Remus laughed. "Sorry, it feels great, I guess. It just needs to sink in."

Just then, there was a tapping on the window and Remus thought he recognized Lindi's owl, Atticus. Sirius reached up and unlatched the window. The owl flew in and landed on the floor beside Remus, holding out his leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied.

Expecting something from Lindi, Remus did his best not to appear overly eager as he quickly untied and smoothed open the roll. The scribble on the parchment confirmed the bird was Lindi's. Remus began to read, or _try_ to read, Lindi's writing.

_Dear Remus,_

_Happy Birthday! I know I'll be seeing you in a short while, but I wanted to be one of the first to wish you a happy seventeenth! _

_Before you think that I forgot and didn't get you anything, don't worry. After all, it isn't every day that a girl's boyfriend comes of age. I know how much fun it is to have presents waiting for you when you wake, but I want to give you mine in person. I hope you don't mind. I'll give it to you this evening. (Assuming I'm not in detention or expelled, thanks to your friends, whom I __HATE__, by the way!) _

Remus laughed, then started to wonder if that meant she would be paying off her wager today. It certainly sounded that way. He found he was a little excited at the prospect of finally finding out what it was. He really disliked being left out of the Marauders' plans, even though it was fun to look forward to some sort of surprise. Of course, if she ended up in detention for his birthday, that would take away a lot of the fun….

Choosing to believe his friends would not do such a thing to him, he finished her note.

_Anyway, I hope you aren't disappointed. _

_I still wanted to be one of the first to wish you a wonderful birthday. I'll see you soon._

_Yours,_

_Lindi _

After he'd managed to decipher the rest of the chicken scratch, he was a little intrigued by what she might have gotten for him, but he had no idea, so he turned his attention to contemplating the closing.

_Yours_…

It looked as though she'd struggled to decide how to sign off. The parchment was a little worn, as though she had corrected herself a number of times before settling on the _Yours_.

_Yours_ was good, he decided. Love was used so commonly, had she written it, he would have wondered if she really meant it or if she had done so out of habit. But _Yours_…He liked that.

Suddenly, the parchment was ripped from his hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked James, who had rolled off the other side of Remus' bed and out or reach. "That's personal, James."

"You don't say. Is that why it's apparently written in code? Her writing is atrocious."

Remus smiled, hoping James wouldn't be able to decipher it, not that there was anything remotely _intimate_ there.

"May I have that back please?"

"Hold on," James said, holding up a hand while he tried to read the note. "_Oooo_, she has something for him—that she wants to give him _in private_!"

Sirius and Peter made lascivious _oooing_ sounds, too.

Remus shook his head. "That's in _person_, not _private_."

"Oh," said James, looking a little disappointed. "Well, still, what might she be planning to give you that she couldn't just send by owl or House Elves?"

The three made stupid insinuating sounds and faces again.

"Will you stop? I'm sure it is a book or something. Now, can I have my note back?"

"A book? That isn't nearly _in person_ worthy," said James. "From the sound of this, she has something a lot more _special_ than a book. Like she says, it's not everyday a bloke _comes of age_."

Peter sniggered.

"Today you came of age; maybe tonight you'll become a man!" James teased and finally handed the note back.

Remus' eyes rolled nearly of their own accord. "Not in my wildest dreams," he said.

"Sounds like you need to have some wilder dreams," said Sirius.

"He's full of crap," said Peter. "I've heard him a couple of times, and it sure sounded like he was having _wild_ dreams."

"Are you sure they weren't w—"

"Alright!" Remus interrupted before Sirius said whatever was about to come out of his mouth. This conversation had the potential to deteriorate rapidly, and it was already bad enough. Remus wondered if he'd made sounds when he was practically snogging his linens while dreaming they were Lindi that morning after the ball. _How positively mortifying_… "So, what's this, Peter?" Remus held up the tube quickly, as a way to change the subject.

Peter looked very pleased with himself. "Open it and find out, but be warned; it might give you more _wild _dreams." He sniggered again.

_Oh great_…Remus feared that this might be another _gift_ from Erosian's Erotic Emporium. He could only imagine that it would be a poster similar to some of the ones Sirius had, only worse. Remus figured he enjoyed looking at scantily clad women as much as the next bloke. Still, much as he had to admit to more than once enjoying Sirius' posters of bikini clad women, he wasn't really the type to put them on _his_ wall. He really hoped this wasn't going to be like that, but there was only one way to find out. He pulled the end off, slid a roll of paper free and unrolled it. What he saw made him do a double take.

For an instant, he thought Peter had not only given him a rather naughty poster, but actual _pornography—_moving wizard pornography.

Pornography with a man and a woman….

Granted, on second look, the couple involved was fully clothed, but the way they were lying together on the floor, the woman on top of the man, looking down at him, smiling—the look on the man's face when he grabbed her and pulled her to him….

It made Remus' neck and face grow warm. However, the really shocking part was that, once he really looked at them, the faces on the couple belonged to Lindi and _him._ How could that be?

Remus looked more closely, trying to figure out what was going on. "What is this?"

"Don't you recognize it?" Peter asked. "It's from that day Lindi knocked you over, in her excitement after she found out she'd passed her Defense examination."

"_Ahh_…" Remus did remember. He had been a little embarrassed that he had fallen down, but he'd quickly gotten over it with the way she had felt lying on him, the way she had looked at him…He had almost forgotten that they were in a room full of people. What a wonderful memory, and now he had it captured forever. "Where did you get this?" he asked Peter.

"Bozo Paparazzo took it," Peter answered. "He'd just got a camera for his birthday and was messing round with it. Nice shot, eh?"

Remus had to agree that Bozo had a gift for capturing a moment, though the possibility of taking this particular moment out of context was a bit disquieting. If Bozo passed this around…well, just as Remus had jumped to a conclusion, others might think it was less innocent than it actually was. "Does he have other copies of this?" Remus asked.

"No, I don't think so. He'd just printed them and I thought you'd like it. Why?" Peter asked.

"Because I don't think Lindi would be too happy if this was passed around."

"No doubt," Sirius agreed after he'd taken the poster sized picture out of Remus' hands.

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Peter, watching the poster. "It does look like you're, er—"

"Becoming a man!" cried James looking over Sirius' shoulder.

"For the love of Godric, James. Can you think of nothing else? What's gotten into you?" Remus asked, taking the poster back and starting to roll it up after one last look. He really liked the way Lindi was smiling down at him.

"He needs a date," said Sirius. "When was the last one, the Ball? That's over two months ago."

"No, he went out with Wilda, remember?" said Peter.

"Oh, right, but that's been over a month ago, hasn't it? You obviously still need a date, Prongs," said Sirius.

"Sod off," said James. "Here, open mine." He thrust a large parcel into Remus' hands. He was clearly as intent to change the subject as Remus had been a few minutes earlier. James wouldn't want the discussion on his love life, or lack thereof, to veer off towards Lily Evans, as it inevitably would.

Each of the Marauders knew that while James might have stopped acting the _total_ fool in front of Lily, he still fancied her. James might have pretended otherwise, but the fact that she was actually civil to him and they had arrived at a fairly amicable relationship had only made him more hopeful that they might actually go out, even though Lily was still dating Hal.

Poor James…Remus hated to think how it would feel if he had to watch Lindi dating another bloke, but James was putting up a good front, so Remus would not embarrass him. Not today, anyway….

Remus pulled the ribbon off the parcel. He fully expected to find something obscene, this time. Of course, he'd expected the worst from Peter, too and had been very pleasantly surprised. Still, he knew there would be some sort of gag gift coming. These were his friends, after all and it was his _coming of age_.

Bracing himself, he pulled away the brown wrapping. He was completely stunned to find a very nice new leather book bag. "James, I—" Remus hardly knew what to say. "This is really nice." _And expensive,_ he didn't add, rubbing the soft, fine leather. "You shouldn't have."

"Yes, I should. I was tired of having to help you pick up all those bloody books every time the handle on your old one came loose."

"Well, thank you," Remus said, slightly embarrassed at James' generosity. Or was it the maturity of the gift that had him flustered? Where were the crass, immature gifts?

"You're welcome. What else do you have?"

_Uh, oh, could this be the crass one?_ Remus lifted the last box and checked the tag. "I've got this from Sirius."

"Well, go on; open it," said Sirius, when Remus hesitated. "It isn't going to blow up."

Of course, Sirius' assurance only served to increase Remus' apprehension. After expecting it and thinking about it each time he'd opened a package, Remus was convinced there would have to be a prank gift somewhere and this was the last one. He noted that the package was fairly heavy and started to shake it.

"Careful!" said Sirius. "They won't blow up, but they _will_ break."

_Just get it over with_, Remus told himself. _How bad could it be? You actually use the breath checker from Erosian's_. He tore the wrapping off and removed the lid from the box. Sticking out of the tissue paper was the distinctive cork of an Ogden's Old Firewhiskey bottle. Remus lifted it out and looked at the rich treacle-colored liquid. Sirius had gone all out and bought the really good stuff, Ogden's _Very_ Old. Remus had only tasted it once, when he'd visited the Potters the summer before fifth year along with Sirius and Peter. James had sneaked it from their liquor cupboard after his mum and dad had gone to bed. They had only taken a taste, as James would have had a hard time explaining where it had gone. Remus had thought it was actually quite good and much smoother than any he had tasted before.

"A man can't come of age without a proper toast," said Sirius.

"Thank you," Remus said. "We should probably save that for later though. I don't think breakfast is a good time for toasts."

"Speaking of toast," said Peter. "I'm hungry."

Remus started to put the bottle back into its box.

"Hold on," said Sirius. "There's more in there."

"Oh, sorry." Remus searched through the tissue paper and lifted out an object wrapped in cotton batting. Pulling the covering away, he found that it was a Firewhiskey glass, footed with a tulip shape. There were three more in the box.

They didn't serve Firewhiskey in these at the Hog's Head, but Remus had seen them used at The Three Broomsticks and James' parents had a set. However, the thing that made these really special was the etching around them. On the surface of each glass were the words _The Marauders._ Even more striking were the phrases that faded in and out beneath the title, as Remus watched.

_I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!—Jamais pur! _Remus laughed. His French wasn't terribly impressive, but his mum had tried to make him keep up with it after they had moved back to England. Jamais…_never_ pure. Sirius was poking fun at his family motto.

_Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs—All for one and one for all!—Moony's pack_… Remus felt a tightening in his throat. That was fairly accurate. It's why they had become the Marauders, really. _Gryffindor to the core!—Take a walk on the wild side!—United we stand; drunk we fall! _Remus laughed again. It was a relief from that tightening he felt in his throat.

What a perfect gift. It didn't surprise him that it had come from Sirius, probably the only one of the four who appreciated and needed the Marauders almost as much as Remus himself did. Actually, truth be told, it was remotely possible that Sirius needed them every bit as much. While they were the friends that Remus had always hoped for, the Marauders were probably like family to Sirius.

"These are brilliant, Padfoot. Thank you," Remus said.

"No problem," said Sirius. "As long as you share some of that Ogden's VO."

"Fair enough." Remus carefully rewrapped the glass and sat it gently into the box. James handed him one he had been looking at.

"These _are_ brilliant. I wouldn't mind getting some like them for _my_ birthday—which by coincidence is in seventeen days, isn't it?"

"Subtle, Prongs," said Peter.

Remus finished repacking all the glasses and the Firewhiskey, then looked over his haul for the year. It had been a good birthday. Even Peter's gift, while a little different and probably best kept for Remus' eyes only, was quite good. It was a rather _arousing_ reminder of a very happy experience.

Remus was nearly speechless from the generosity and thoughtfulness of his friends. Were these the same blokes who'd given him the Ready for Romance Kit just this past Christmas?

"Thank you all," he said. "I really appreciate everything. I—"

"Don't mention it," said Sirius, who was even less comfortable with emotional situations than the others. "Now, I'm starved."

Remus smiled to himself as they all stood up to get dressed. So far, this was turning out to be a very happy birthday. He put his new things away, with the exception of his poster. He would have to decide where to put that so he could enjoy it without everyone who might pass their room seeing it in full view. Putting it in his top drawer, he quickly dressed and they all headed down to breakfast.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wary excitement accompanied Remus to the Great Hall. He fully anticipated something happening with Lindi and her wager today. If it was to be a public event, he felt that breakfast was a likely time for it. Having her do whatever they had planned first thing in the morning would be very in character for his friends. Just as they had done with the singing birds on her own birthday, it gave them the opportunity to humiliate her early, and provided the other students the rest of the day to continue tormenting her with it, sort of a gift that kept on giving.

Rather surprisingly, nothing out of the ordinary happened at breakfast— or at lunch. In fact, the entire day proceeded as normal, aside from a slight disturbance in Herbology.

Though Remus thought the incident in the greenhouse might have occurred because of Lindi's preoccupation with the wager, it was otherwise clearly unrelated to her bet with James.

Lindi had been fertilizing a small Venomous Tentacula and apparently had not been concentrating on what she was doing, for it had managed to snare her hand. Professor Bottanie had pried her fingers free from the plant's teeth before it was able to do very much damage. Still, he had told her to go see Madam Pomfrey, in case she had received any venom in her bloodstream. Leanna was to accompany her, in the event Lindi had an allergic reaction.

While Lindi gathered her things, James had taken the opportunity to taunt her. "You better pay more attention to what you're doing," he teased. "A stay in hospital will only delay the inevitable and it'll just give me more time to come up with something even better—or _worse_, depending on how you want to look at it."

Lindi had looked on the verge of saying something, probably that she hated Remus' friends, but Professor Bottanie had hurried her along.

The Marauders were on their way back to the tower at the end of the day before Remus finally saw Lindi again. She was just returning to Ravenclaw Tower from the Hospital wing.

"Madam Pomfrey kept me for a while," she said. "The venom went through my bloodstream faster than usual, apparently."

"Are you alright?" Remus asked, though obviously she was, since Madam Pomfrey would not have let her leave the infirmary if she hadn't been.

"I'm fine. She gave me an extra dose of Tentacula antivenin, which made me a little sick to my stomach, so she gave me some ginger tea. I feel better now."

"That's good," said Peter. "We wouldn't want to have to celebrate Remus' birthday without you."

"No, that would be a shame," said James, smiling.

_Interesting_, thought Remus. It was even more intriguing when Lindi turned a little green, though he supposed it could have been a relapse of nausea from the antivenin.

"Thank you for caring," she said. "I'll see you at dinner, Remus." And she walked away, looking slightly disgruntled.

Yes, this was all very interesting. Would whatever she was going to have to do happen at dinner?

Settling into his seat at the Gryffindor table a little while later, Remus felt it was now or never, if it actually was going to be today. Then again, maybe they were planning something entirely different for her than a public humiliation. They hadn't seemed in a huge hurry to get to the Great Hall. Perhaps they were making her do something unrelated to his birthday after all.

It was about to drive him insane. He considered it might be something more like a sneaky prank or daring assignment. Perhaps she had to take something from one of the other House common rooms or a professor's office, as they had once made someone do in a game of Truth or Dare.

There was simply no telling. He figured he might as well stop thinking about it, though he'd been telling himself that for days. He glanced over toward the Ravenclaw table to find Lindi. She wasn't there, though Leanna was already in their usual spot.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go say hello to Leanna," said Sirius.

"Ask her where Lindi is, will you?" said Remus.

"Yeah."

Sirius was gone for a few minutes and when he returned, he informed Remus that Lindi was changing her robes and would be down soon.

"What happened to her robes?" Remus asked.

Sirius just shrugged and started scooping out a large helping of shepherd's pie.

By the time they had finished their dinner and Remus was contemplating a bite of dessert, Lindi still had not arrived at her table. He was on the verge of asking Leanna if she might go see if everything was all right. What if Lindi _had_ relapsed? But he thought that was unlikely. Lindi had apparently been fine when Leanna left her.

Still, Lindi knew they had planned to go celebrate his birthday right after they'd had dinner. _She really should be here by now_.

Peter must have noticed him looking for her. "I wonder what's keeping Lindi," he said.

"She better get here soon," said James. "I'm just about ready to get this show on the road."

"I'll get Leanna to go check on her," said Sirius.

While they waited for Leanna to return, Lily came to join them, squeezing in beside Peter on the bench. "So, what's going on? When are we getting started?"

"We?" Remus asked, surprised that Lily might be involved. "Are you joining us?"

"I wouldn't miss it." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Remus suddenly feared that his friends might have decided to have a big party after all, knowing he didn't want that. He would love to have Lily there, and it would probably please Lindi not to be the only girl, but he didn't want this getting out of hand.

"That's great, Lily," he said. "I didn't know you played poker."

"What? Oh, oh yes, I love poker. My dad has held poker night every Thursday since I can remember. He taught Tuney and me ages ago. Of course, he said he'd skin us if he ever caught us playing for money, or anything _more valuable_." Lily grinned.

"And did he?" asked Peter. "Catch you playing, I mean."

"No, he never caught me, anyway. I'm not sure about Tuney, but I doubt it."

"So, were you playing for money, or something more valuable?" Peter grinned.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lily said, and that twinkle in her eye glinted again.

Remus chuckled. On one hand, he would be very surprised to know that Lily had ever done such a thing, but on the other, she never ceased to surprise him. Lily had a bit of a rebellious streak that she tried very hard to control and usually succeeded, thus making her a better prefect than he could have hoped to be. Still, the streak was there and Remus had always thought it came with that fiery red hair.

Yes, having Lily at the little party would be fun. Still, he hoped there weren't anymore last minute guests. He turned to James.

"Did you invite anyone else?"

"What?" asked James, for he wasn't paying attention. He was whispering something to Sirius.

"To our poker night…did you invite anyone else?" Remus repeated.

"Oh," said James. "No, Evans just overheard us talking and invited herself."

"That's not exactly how it happened," Lily smirked. "Anyway, when _are_ we getting started?"

"We're just waiting for Dellington," said James. "She better—"

He paused as Leanna walked up. "She should be here any minute," she said, smiling. "By the way, Happy Birthday, Remus."

"Thank you," he said and Leanna turned and headed back to Ravenclaw's table.

Just then, there was a little popping sound and a large cake appeared on the table in front of Remus.

It must have been two feet in diameter and at least a foot high, large enough for the whole of Gryffindor House. Red and gold frosting swags draped the sides, and _Happy 17__th__ Remus!_ was written in red letters across the top. Seventeen gold candles burned brightly. Remus decided his mum must have made arrangements with the House Elves and he thought he might have to kill her for making such a fuss. Everyone at the table was starting to watch and word seemed to be spreading like wildfire, even to the other tables.

"You better make a wish and blow those out before they burn down," said Sirius.

"Wish for something really _good_," said James, and he waggled his brow. "I have a feeling those candles are magic."

Thanks to James, Remus found it very difficult to think of something to wish for that didn't make him start turning red. For one thing, it seemed that all the school was watching him, and he knew what James was intimating. After all, James had had one thing on his mind all morning, hadn't he?

Naturally, that got _Remus _thinking about _things_. Of course, _that_ made him worry that everyone would somehow read his mind and know what he was thinking. Even if he didn't wish it, he felt that everyone would assume he was. His face got very hot and he hoped it was from the candle flames.

"Come on, Moony," urged Peter. "Make a wish."

Yes, Remus was going to have to kill his mother. He hated all this attention. He wished everyone would stop staring at him, so he could get this all over with and finally see Lindi and get on with enjoying his birthday.

_Yes, that's it. That's what I wish. _He took a deep breath and blew out the candles. There was some applause, but it seemed very anticlimactic. James, Sirius, Peter and Lily stared expectantly at the cake. What were they waiting for, it to blow up in his face?

When it was clear that nothing more was going to happen, James looked at Sirius, smirking.

Sirius shook his head. He reached in his pocket and pulled his wand. "_Inflictum Spiculum_!" he said, jabbing the wand towards the cake.

A shrill shriek emanated from inside the cake. The whole thing seemed to jump and instantaneously, the top layer blew off into the air. In a blur of motion, it fell back to the table a few feet away, splattering frosting all over, showering everyone within five feet. A glop hit Remus just below his right eye before he could duck out of the way. He sat blinking as more dripped down out of his hair along with little bits of chocolate cake. People around him were gasping in shock and then started to laugh.

"You idiots! It wasn't supposed to be a _real_ cake!"

That sounded like Lily…

"Did you tell Fwibble…" but suddenly, James' voice was drowned out by loud shouts and whistling. Remus wiped the frosting from his eyelashes so he could see.

What he saw nearly made him dizzy.

On the table in front of him, where the remainder of the cake was sitting like a battered open box, were two very high-heeled black shoes, in which were feet, feet that were attached to rather very shapely legs covered in nothing but netted hose and a smear of frosting on one knee. Remus' heart started to beat a little faster as his eyes followed the legs up, wondering when on earth they would disappear into some robes. What he saw at the top of them made his mouth drop open.

_Great Godric Gryffindor_…Clearly, Mum had nothing to do with this, but his wish appeared to have actually come true.

For one thing was certain; no one was staring at _him_ any longer.

And he was seeing far more of Lindi than he could ever have _reasonably_ wished.

And clearly, this was the start of the birthday celebration his friends had planned.

In the back of his mind, Remus knew that he really needed to close his mouth, but his brain didn't seem to be working properly. Somehow, the instructions to stop gawking like a blooming berk weren't transmitting to the nerves that could make it happen.

Fortunately his optic nerves were still working and he couldn't have made his eyes look away, even if he had wanted to.

Lindi stood in the center of the table, dressed in the tiniest little black dress he had ever seen, with that wonderful little white ruffled apron. His fantasy…the French maid…_Lindi_ as the French maid.

_Great. Godric. Gryffindor!_ _How?_ was the only thought his brain seemed to be able to formulate. Then he remembered—his friends had found that picture hidden in the back of his desk at home. James had used his bet to do this.

Had James known what he was going to make her do from the start? Had he made the wager with something like this in mind to begin with, done it all for Remus' benefit?

It wasn't easy to tear his eyes away from Lindi, but Remus glanced over at James, Sirius, and Peter. They looked nearly transported with glee as they watched his reaction.

"Happy Birthday, Mate!" James said.

Sirius looked back to Lindi and shouted. "Get on with it!"

Lindi, for her part, aside from looking beyond amazingly sexy, was rubbing her hip, just below a pair of lacy ruffled white knickers. She looked at the wand still in Sirius' hand. "That hurt, Sirius!"

"Got your attention, didn't it? If you'd come out when you were supposed to, I wouldn't have had to do it. Now get on with it, before McGonagall gets back!"

Lindi looked around, a little frantic. Conveniently enough, Professor Slughorn and Mr. Filch were the only ones still at the staff table and didn't seem to be in any hurry to interfere. Professor Slughorn was wiping his glasses, apparently so he could see what was going on more clearly.

Then, amid the whistling and catcalls, it seemed to dawn on Lindi that everyone was watching her. Red splotches appeared on her chest, which was rather more exposed than Remus had ever seen it. His friends seemed to have gotten the costume in a size or two smaller than comfortable for Lindi. Not that _he_ didn't appreciate the fit… But she was tugging at the top, trying to cover some of her exposed cleavage.

Remus felt very warm under the collar. He could see her debating whether to run and hide, but she looked back at James and Sirius, then finally over at Remus. "I _HATE_ your friends!"

Remus bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself grinning. After this, he certainly couldn't blame her for hating them. Still, he hoped she would forgive _him_ if she realized that he was more convinced than ever that he had the greatest friends in the history of the world.

"You better hurry, Lindi!" James called. "If you don't finish, you still owe me."

She looked daggers at James and then grimaced, took a deep breath and started to sing. "Happy birthday to you—happy birthday _to_ you…"

Actually, calling it singing was being fairly generous.

"Mother of Merlin!" cried James. He flinched on a cracked note. "She sings like a Merwoman out of water!"

Another missed key made Sirius jokingly groan. "Yeah, Celestina Warbeck she's not! I hope she never has to sing for her supper. She'll starve!"

"You think anyone would care what she _sounds_ like?" said Peter gazing up at her.

If Remus had ever found Peter, or anyone else, for that matter, ogling Lindi the way Peter was at the moment, under normal circumstances, Remus thought he just might have to cast a Conjunctivitis Curse on them. However, in light of the situation, Remus certainly couldn't blame anyone for looking and even enjoying the show. After all, it wasn't everyday that the men in Hogwarts saw a woman dressed like that. It made him realize just how modest the Hogwarts robes were. Looking around at the reaction, he thought it was probably very wise of Professor Dumbledore to keep them that way. Remus was sure he wouldn't learn another thing if the girls walked around like that all day.

Still, they did say that ignorance was bliss, and watching Lindi in that costume…

She finished the song, then leaned down and blew him a kiss. It was one of the sexiest things Remus had ever seen in his entire life, all seventeen years of it. Everyone made an awful din, clapping, stomping their feet and shouting for an encore, but Lindi clearly had paid her debt and made a mad scramble to get down from the table. In her hurry, she didn't notice the frosting on the bottom of her shoes and when she jumped onto the floor, her left foot slipped out from under her and she landed squarely on her bum, just missing hitting her head on the bench. This, of course only made the students laugh and cheer louder.

Remus jumped up to help her. "Are you hurt?" he shouted over the noise.

"Nothing but my pride," she said, face redder than he'd ever seen it.

"Then perhaps you can tell me what on earth you are doing?" Professor McGonagall said loudly over the ruckus. She was standing right beside Remus, hands on her hips, lips pursed, looking down at Lindi.

_Crap!_ Remus was certain Lindi wouldn't be expelled or anything that severe, but from the look on McGonagall's face, he thought she just might end up in detention. In fact, once the professor figured this all out, his friends would probably have detention right along with Lindi. If so, Remus hoped it would not be enforced until another night. He was really looking forward to the rest of his birthday.

He glanced back down at Lindi. She stared back at Professor McGonagall almost petrified, and then looked to him for help. He knew she was looking for more than just help to her feet, but at the moment, that was all he had to offer. He reached out his hand and pulled her up. His friends were biting back their amusement, rather unsuccessfully. They were basking in the afterglow of a well-executed plan. They had definitely earned it, even if it did land them all in detention. If they all did end up in detention, Remus decided he would insist that he had been part of the prank as well, so that he could be with them.

Yes, even if he had to spend the rest of his birthday extracting mucus from Flobberworms, it would be worth it. Remus was sure that it was worth just about anything to have friends like these.


	49. Happy Birthday, Remus

**Happy Birthday, Remus**

**A/N: **_Thanks to MaraudersWolf for beta reading and encouragement. I'd also like to thank the readers who have reviewed anonymously or through the pm system. I haven't figured out how to respond to you, if I even can, (is technochallenged) but I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know you are reading and your thoughts on the story. It really means a lot to me._

**A/N2**_: Okay, it has been a really long time since I last updated. I'm so sorry about that. I would recommend a reread of the last chapter, so that some things in this one make sense, though you might have a better memory than me. ;) But at least one of the jokes might not work if you don't remember what happened in the last. Anyway, here is the next installment. I really hope you enjoy it, after all this time. I'll try to have the next one up in a __**much**__ more timely fashion. Thanks for your patience and I'd love to hear any thoughts. _**:)**

**--**

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Professor McGonagall asked Lindi, whose face was a wide-eyed mask of fear and mortification.

The look on the professor's face suggested that she believed Lindi surely must have. Most of the students were struggling to be quiet, either so they could hear Lindi being reprimanded or so McGonagall wouldn't turn on them, but some could not seem to help themselves. The sniggering only intensified when McGonagall said very tartly, "Please, tell me you have been placed under the Imperious Curse."

Lindi grimaced with embarrassment, but otherwise seemed frozen beneath the professor's incredulous gaze, unable or unwilling to provide a response. However, James, Sirius, and Peter snorted in amusement. The beady glare shifted towards them.

"And why do I feel certain that one or the lot of you is behind this?" McGonagall asked coolly.

Each of the accused Marauders made innocent, _who, me? _faces.

"Really, Professor," said James indignantly. "I'd never use the Imperious Curse on anyone."

"That would be unforgivable," Sirius added in great earnest.

"I wouldn't even know how," insisted Peter.

Professor McGonagall glared, lips pursed tightly, obviously knowing full well that they were anything _but_ innocent of this matter. However, she let them go, for the moment, and turned back to Lindi, who had unfrozen enough to start tugging again at the revealing costume.

Professor McGonagall pulled her wand and raised it in the air over Lindi's head. Flinching, as though she were about to receive a blow, Lindi squeezed her eyes closed. Professor McGonagall made a little _tsking_ sound and rolled her eyes, as though she thought Lindi were being absurd to think the Professor might be about to hex her. Of course, it _was_ absurd, but after what Lindi had just been forced to endure, one could hardly blame her for expecting the worst.

As she stood wincing and cowering beside him in that tiny little dress, Remus felt a flood of sympathy and fondness—not to mention immense _desire _for her wash over him.

With a twirl of the professor's wand, a swath of flowing black fabric swirled in the air and then draped itself over Lindi's bare shoulders, covering her from neck to ankle. Remus knew Lindi would be relieved, but he was actually quite sad that the French Maid costume was now hidden from view. He had _really _liked it.

_Crap, Remus…Lindi is humiliated and probably about to get detention, and all you can think about is how good she looked? _He felt ashamed of himself.

But he just couldn't help it. A few mournful, "_Aww_"s told him he wasn't the only one.

"That's better," Professor McGonagall said, returning her wand to her pocket. "Five points from Ravenclaw for being out of uniform and ten more for indecent exposure! We are running a school here, Dellington, not a house of burlesque!"

Remus thought he heard a little whimper escape Lindi, but he couldn't be sure, thanks to the renewed outbursts of laughter from the students watching. Her blush was unmistakable, though, and she couldn't seem to meet the professor's eyes. Instead, she shot a rather hostile look at James, Sirius and Peter who were sniggering madly.

"Now, explain what could possibly have made you take such leave of your senses," McGonagall insisted.

"Well, I—" Lindi mumbled something unintelligibly.

"Speak up, Dellington!"

The intimidation on Lindi's face was intense and she swallowed, struggling for the nerve to explain.

"I—erm, well, it's Remus' birthday, and I was singing Happy Birthday," she said lamely.

"Yes, I _heard_," Professor McGonagall said. A twitch at the corner of her mouth gave Remus the impression that she might actually like to laugh. Maybe she wasn't as furious as she wanted the students to think she was. "What I want to know is what possibly could have made you think it was a good idea."

"Oh, I _knew_ it wasn't a good idea," Lindi said candidly.

Professor McGonagall cocked her brow. "Explain yourself, then, and get on with it. I have an important meeting to attend."

Lindi's eyes again cut back over to Remus' three friends, as if automatically drawn towards them. Even if she didn't name them as the culprits, she had already given them away. Still, she looked back quickly and seemed to be _trying _to figure out a way to keep them out of trouble; otherwise, she would have told the professor exactly what was going on from the start. That's how Remus saw it, anyway. He hoped Sirius, James, and Peter would appreciate her attempt to shield them as well, unsuccessful though it was.

McGonagall followed Lindi's gaze. "Let me guess," she said acidly. "You made the mistake of playing Truth or Dare with this lot?" She waved her hand irritably at the Marauders.

"Oh, no, Professor," said Lindi. "I know better than that. I've heard what they've made people do. I'd never be foolish enough to…"

Lindi must have seen the skeptical look on the professor's face. That or she realized the irony of claiming she '_knew better'_, having just popped out of a _cake_ in front of the _entire_ Great Hall, wearing nothing more than a _very_ skimpy costume.

"Well, it wasn't Truth or Dare," Lindi mumbled. The color of her face intensified to nearly magenta. "I lost a bet, which I know was just as foolish."

"Yes, I dare say it was."

"I should have known better. I _did_ know better, but I was an _idiot_. I will _never_ be so stupid again! I shouldn't ha—"

"Glad to hear it!" Professor McGonagall cut over her. McGonagall must have known Lindi well enough to realize that when she was nervous, she rambled on and on, and the professor had said she had a meeting. "With whom did you make this bet—as if I need to ask?"

Lindi's eyes instinctively shifted to James, one more time, and yet again she tried to cover it. "Does it really matter?" she asked almost in an undertone.

"I wouldn't bother asking if it didn't!"

"It was me, Professor," James volunteered.

"So, this was _your_ idea, Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked, waving her hand at the remnants of cake blasted all over the table and floor, and then at Lindi, now covered in the long cloak.

James nodded but as he started to open his mouth, Sirius spoke up.

"Not all of it."

"How surprising," McGonagall said, clearly not at all surprised. "Well, congratulations, Black. You can join Potter and Dellington for detention. I'll see you in my office Monday evening at seven o'clock. Should we invite anyone else?" She looked pointedly at Peter and Remus.

In light of the fact that the detention was not until Monday, and would therefore not impact the celebration of his birthday, Remus remained silent. Much as he would like to spend even a night of _punishment _with Lindi and his friends, Remus knew it would be a poor use of his time. The full moon would be drawing near by then, and he would need to get some work finished while he still felt up to it. From the sound of things, Professor McGonagall planned to oversee the detentions herself; otherwise, she probably would have set it sooner than Monday. That meant they probably wouldn't even have a chance to talk, so volunteering for a detention that he truly didn't deserve would be a complete waste of his time.

Peter, on the other hand, probably _did_ deserve it, yet he also kept his silence. He would know that James and Sirius wouldn't expose his part in all this, assuming there was one. Regardless, Peter obviously felt no compulsion to stand detention simply for the sake of camaraderie.

However, what was of most interest to Remus was the way Lily Evans seemed suspiciously distracted by a large blob of icing on the table in front of her. Remus thought the fact that James, Sirius, and Lindi were being reprimanded a mere few feet away should have been far more interesting, yet Lily seemed intent on not making eye contact. It was highly suspicious; even more so considering what Remus remembered hearing Lily say. _It wasn't supposed to be a _real_ cake!_

Yes, he was sure she had played some part in this. Yet she, like Peter, was not volunteering that information. Lily glanced up and caught Remus watching her. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face and she looked away, glancing casually around, still not meeting any of the others' eyes.

Then, Remus was certain she was guilty of something. He was even more certain that Lily Evans was no fool. Peter didn't admit a part, even when he was a Marauder. Why on earth would Lily, when she could barely stand them—half the time, anyway?

Of course, that seemed to be changing, Remus thought. After all, Lily had apparently joined them in a rather dastardly plot against one of her friends.

_No wonder James has been in such a cheerful—and randy mood…_Remus thought.

When there were no more admissions of guilt forthcoming, and no accusations from James, Sirius or Lindi, Professor McGonagall said, "Very well. I'll see the three of you in my office Monday at seven. Now, I want this mess cleared up!" She turned and looked at Remus. "Oh, and happy birthday, Lupin. Do _try_ to stay out of trouble. I'd hate to have to give _you_ a detention for your birthday."

"Thank you, Professor," Remus said.

"And I suggest you go and change, Dellington."

"Yes, Professor," Lindi answered.

With that, McGonagall walked briskly away. As soon as she had vanished into the Entrance Hall, Lindi turned on her heels.

"Well, I hope you're happy!"

Much to her chagrin, James, Sirius, and Peter smiled, clearly delighted. With the number of detentions they had served over the years, another would hardly be more than a minor inconvenience to them.

"I am, thanks!" said James.

"You know," said Sirius, turning to Peter and James. "I'm so happy; I think I might have found my calling. What say we just leave Hogwarts and open a house of burlesque?"

The remaining students at the table laughed and made sounds of approval as James nodded thoughtfully. "There's an idea, Padfoot. We wouldn't even have to worry about N.E.W.T.s next year. Not that we need to worry, anyway."

"_You_ might not," said Peter glumly. "So, I think it sounds like a brilliant idea."

"Want to come work for us, Dellington?" Sirius asked. "With a little practice, you might not be too bad."

Lindi blinked, incredulous.

"We might hire someone else to do the singing, though," said James. Lindi's eyes popped wide. "No offense."

"And sort out the cake, so we don't end up with such a mess to clean up every time," Peter added.

"Yes, and so we don't end up having to pay a healer when Dellington slips in the icing and busts her bum," said Sirius.

Lindi's mouth opened and closed, something like a fish out of water. She couldn't seem to formulate a proper response. "Oh—I—you lot are the most…You just got me put in detention, made a huge fool of me, and—" She took a steadying breath. "You have no shame, do you?"

The three looked back and forth, from one to the other, feigning confusion at the question. From the look on her face, Remus thought Lindi might actually try to hex them.

"Are you ashamed?" Sirius asked James.

James pretended to consider his response for a moment. "No, are you?"

"Er—nope. You, Wormtail?"

"Well, I imagine I would be if Lindi had actually busted her bum or anything, but no. Not really. I think it was all rather brilliant."

Lindi closed her eyes and breathed deeply again. She had that look of exasperation that often appeared on the face of people when dealing with the Marauders, torn between wanting to laugh, or curse them into irreversible oblivion. She turned to Remus, who had been silently enjoying the exchange, since he could tell Lindi wasn't nearly as angry as she probably should have been. Sighing heavily, she said, "I hate your friends."

"I know," he said, smiling sympathetically. "They can be positively maddening."

With that, Lindi couldn't seem to maintain her angry façade. She struggled, but the smile betrayed her as she looked into his eyes. Shaking her head hopelessly, she turned and started for the door.

"Oy! Where are you going?" asked Sirius.

"To the kitchen to get my things, so I can change," Lindi called over her shoulder.

"Hang on!" said James. "That's not part of the deal."

Lindi stopped and turned back. "You don't seriously expect me to do the rest after all this."

"Erm, _yes_, I do," said James. "That's what a deal is."

Lindi walked back so the rest of the Great Hall couldn't hear their conversation. "But—"

"No buts. Part of the wager is waiting on Moony—,"

"And his friends," added Sirius.

"Right," agreed James. "You're the maid for Moony's birthday. His birthday is just getting started."

"Fine, but I can wait on you're lazy bums in my own robes."

"Well, see, Moony likes his maids dressed appropriately," said James seriously.

"You know how he is. He likes to adhere to the formalities of civilized society," said Sirius.

Lindi scowled. "You know full well there is nothing civilized _or_ appropriate about the way I'm dressed. And I'm quite sure it isn't _Moony_ who likes it, but you lot using him as an excuse to get your sick twisted jollies."

James, Sirius and Peter burst out in incredulous laughter. The familiar little niggling of guilt flitted through Remus when Sirius turned and looked at him. Those grey eyes danced with amusement as he muttered under his breath, "Do you ever have _her_ fooled."

Face reddening, Remus knew it wasn't that he had consciously '_fooled_' her, so much as she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was, well, _less _than perfect. Of course, he knew he was incredibly far from perfect and it rather amazed him that Lindi could be so blind about him. She was otherwise so intelligent, but…

"What are you laughing at?" Lindi asked them.

"Nothing," said Sirius, looking at her with an unreadable expression. "Regardless of who may or may not like it, you still have to pay James your wager, so help us clear this up so we can get going. You _are_ the maid, after all."

"Urghh!" Lindi huffed in frustration, but made a move like she was reaching for something in the cloak McGonagall had conjured. She patted the smooth fabric where her pocket should have been and then cocked an eyebrow. "Well, you lot are going to have to do it, because I don't have my wand and I'm not crawling around on the floor."

"Don't have your _wand_?" cried Sirius. "Bloody hell, Dellington, did you learn nothing from our little lesson?"

"Just where would you suggest I keep it, Sirius?" Lindi argued. "Maybe you should have ordered a _truly _proper uniform with room at least for a pocket or something."

She made a good point. As skimpy and tight as the costume was, it hadn't really left much room for wands, or _air_, for that matter.

Sirius shook his head hopelessly, but didn't argue. _How could he?_

"Put it away, Moony," said James once Remus had raised his own wand.

"Yeah," agreed Peter, drawing his. "We don't expect you to clean up your own birthday cake."

"I still can't believe you used a _real_ cake," said Lily, finally entering the conversation and pulling her own wand. She flicked it at a large smear of cake and icing on the floor.

"You said a _cake_, not a _fake_ cake," said James defensively as he took aim at several remnants of the golden candles that had scattered all the way under the Ravenclaw table when the cake had flown apart.

"Well, I would have thought it was obvious that you wouldn't use a _real_ cake, since I _did _mention it was a Muggle Stag Party tradition. How many Muggle bakers do you think—"

"Hang on!" a shrill cry cut the air.

They stopped what they were doing and turned to Lindi, who was staring dumbfounded at Lily.

"Am I understanding correctly that this was _your_ idea?"

The 'oops, I've been caught' look on Lily's face was priceless.

"Lily!" cried Lindi, indignant. "How could you?"

"Well, first of all, I only suggested the _cake_ part, and only after I found out that they had already planned the maid thing and the singing. I had nothing to do with _that_."

Lindi looked absolutely gobsmacked that Lily would have been party to _any_ of this.

"Well, would it have been any better having to walk all the way across the Great Hall dressed like that?" Lily said defensively. "And it was for Remus," she added, sounding as though that should be reason enough.

She looked hopeful that Lindi would see the humor in the situation. The corners of her mouth started to curl as she watched Lindi blinking in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, Lindi," she prodded. "You know it was funny."

Several stunned blinks of the eyes later and Lindi could no longer fight it. Soon, the six friends were laughing and talking about the brilliance of the wager, while they finished clearing up the mess. Just as the last crumb vanished and they were ready to make their way to the fourth floor secret corridor, something happened that had the potential to spoil the evening.

Severus Snape had approached them, on his way to the door, as well. Whether Snape actually said something, or if it was simply the look he gave Lily that didn't set well with James, Remus couldn't say, having been preoccupied with Lindi. Regardless, James had obviously found something objectionable, which came as no surprise when Severus was concerned…

"What are _you_ looking at, Snivellus?" James sneered. "Haven't you ever seen friendshaving good _clean_ fun?"

Utter hatred burned in Snape's eyes and for a moment, Remus was sure a duel was about to break out. But Snape probably realized it was a poor idea, since James already had his wand drawn from the cleaning. Still, Remus got the feeling the drawn wand wasn't all that was holding Snape back. Nostrils flaring in anger, Snape shot a dark look at Lily, then turned and stalked away.

"Good riddance," Sirius snarled.

Ignoring Sirius, Lily stared after Snape for a moment, looking rather pitifully at his retreating back, then quickly over at James, as if daring him to say something derogatory. To his credit, James held his tongue. Perhaps he realized adding insult to injury would not win him any points with Lily, and things were working in James' favor at the moment. Lily was about to join them in their little party. That was a first, and James would be careful not to make it be the last, though being careful didn't come easily for him.

"Come on, lets get out of here," he said.

They arrived at the secret passage on the fourth floor without further incident. Upon entering, Remus found that his friends had planned more than just the cake and Lindi's performance. The room was prepared for their arrival with two extra chairs placed around the card table. A sofa and two club chairs had been conjured or brought in from somewhere, along with a sofa table. Peter went around lighting the torches on the walls and Sirius handled the fire.

With the light flaring, Remus could see the crate of butterbeers sitting on the sofa table along with a tray of snacks and sweets, just like a real party. Glancing around the rest of the large room, he noticed his bottle of Ogden's VO Firewhiskey that Sirius had given him, sitting in the middle of the card table. Remus' initial reaction was, "Uh-oh," but then he considered the fact that Lindi and Lily were with them and surely the Marauders would be on their best, or at the very least, _better_ behavior. After all, Lily was a more responsible prefect than he, Remus was. Since the two of them were the only ones actually already of age, he doubted she would tolerate much in the way of heavy drinking. Of course, she hadn't had a lot of success stopping Mundungus and the others on their excursion into the Forbidden Forest….

Thinking back to that day, he was reminded of Lindi and how she'd been slightly inebriated. That had resulted in her being more flirtatious with him than she had ever been, up to that point.

Her slightly slurred, but flattering words came back to him as if they'd been spoken only yesterday. "_Underneath the soft-spoken, gentle exterior beats the heart of a lion. You really are a Gryffindor, aren't you_?"

He felt flush with the memory. Merlin, he had wanted her so badly.

And here she was, standing at his side, _his girlfriend_. He could hardly believe it, even now, after all these weeks. And it had started with their first kiss here in this very place.

"Is something wrong?" Lindi asked softly, looking into his face. He must have been staring at her strangely.

"No," he assured her. "I was just remembering the first time we were here."

"You mean the two of us?"

He nodded and received a coy smile in return. She clearly remembered as well as he did.

"Okay, are you two going to join us or do you need to get a room?" Sirius called to them. The others were standing around the coffee table smirking at them, while Sirius poured six drinks from the bottle of Firewhiskey.

"_What_?" asked Remus. "We weren't doing anything." Though he knew they must have been making goo goo eyes at one another, as Lily would say.

"Then you won't mind not doing anything over here, so we can get on with doing _something_," said James.

To avoid further embarrassment, Remus and Lindi quickly joined them around the table and drinks were passed around.

"To Moony," said James, raising his glass in a toast.

"To Moony," Sirius and Peter repeated.

"To _Moony_," Lily and Lindi followed, both sounding amused.

Neither of them was in the habit of referring to him by his nickname. It was a bit strange to hear it. Only the Marauders ever called him that. He decided that he preferred Lindi calling him by his real name, to be honest.

She sputtered and gasped a bit as the hot liquid burned its way down her throat, distracting him from contemplating his reasons for feeling that way.

She had only just recovered when Peter said, "Here's to coming of age," raising his glass again.

"Hear, hear," cried James and Sirius in tandem and they took another hearty drink. Remus got the feeling they might be toasting him so they could continue to drink his excellent gift. Still, it would be rude to ignore a toast in his honor, and if Lindi could suffer through, who was he to argue?

They all drank again.

Before Remus could swallow, or the others had lowered their glasses from their lips, Sirius was raising his again. "May the day bring you pleasure _beyond_ your wildest dreams."

Remus inhaled a good bit of Firewhiskey and started to choke. Peter merely sprayed what was left in his mouth in a burst of laughter. He must have remembered their conversation regarding the _lack of wildness_ of Remus' dreams that morning, as well as Remus did.

"What in the world is so funny?" cried Lily, jumping out of the way of the sprayed Firewhiskey too late. She pulled her wand and started to clean the spots from her robes.

Lindi patted Remus on the back, looking concerned and intrigued.

"Nothing," Remus croaked. He coughed once more to clear his throat, eyes watering. "It just went down the wrong way."

Remus shot Sirius a warning glare, but Sirius just smiled wickedly, lifted his glass in salute again, and downed it. Remus felt the warmth creeping up his neck and couldn't help grinning. Sirius was a real piece of work, as Mum would say.

"Oy, Dellington," said Sirius. He held up his empty glass and gave it a shake.

At first, she stared at him blankly, and then seemed to remember. Somewhat grudgingly, she turned and retrieved the bottle. Remus was a little surprised that Sirius didn't comment on the fact that Lindi was not "properly attired" for her maid duties, but perhaps he had also noticed that the cloak McGonagall had conjured was already starting to fade. The professor had clearly not intended Lindi to wear the cloak all evening, no doubt expecting her to change right away.

Lindi refilled Sirius' glass, making a point of looking put out.

Knowing his friends as Remus did, he knew they would only find it more fun if she was annoyed with them. Sirius smiled and said, "Thank you," very graciously.

Lindi rolled her eyes and set the bottle back down.

"Well, what shall we drink to now?" asked Peter.

"I think that's enough toasting to be getting on with," said Lily.

"Agreed," said Lindi. She sat down on the sofa and reached for a pumpkin pasty. "That stuff is potent."

"Wimps," said Sirius, but neither of the girls rose to the mild insult.

Lindi was too busy devouring the pasty. After all, she hadn't actually eaten dinner, since she had been squeezing herself into a cake at the time. The alcohol would go to her head much more quickly because of it. She'd already shown that she didn't hold her drink very well, during their experience in the Forbidden Forest.

Remus sat down beside her on the sofa, with Lily on the other end. James and Sirius took the two club chairs and Peter pulled a cushion up to the table and selected a handful of Chocoballs.

"So, can I ask you all something?" Lindi asked when they'd all settled in.

"Of course," said Remus.

"Whether you'll get an answer depends on the question," Sirius added.

Lindi smiled. "Why do you lot call Remus _Moony_?"

Remus' hand stopped with his drink halfway to his mouth. He had always expected her to ask again, since he'd told her he'd tell her _someday_, after the first time she'd asked. But it still came as something of a shock to hear the question coming from her mouth just now.

"Shall we tell her?" Sirius asked.

Remus stayed frozen for a moment. Considering that Sirius had been quite adamant that Remus should not reveal the secret only a few weeks ago, Remus thought Sirius was probably talking about the cover story they had come up with in second year, after they had dubbed him _Moony_. The tale, useful though it was, had always been a little embarrassing, but he was particularly embarrassed for Lindi to hear it. Still, it was better than spoiling his birthday celebration with the truth. He gave a nod of assent, already feeling his face beginning to warm. _Maybe it's just the Firewhiskey_, he hoped.

"When we were in second year, he mooned a group of Slytherins," said Peter.

"It was a dare," Remus interjected quickly.

In truth, it had not been so much a dare as a premeditated _plan_ to give them cover for using the nickname, since it had quickly become a habit for them and they were going to slip and call him Moony in front of others. Remus had been worried that the real reason behind the name would be obvious. But soon, most of Gryffindor had heard the story of the mooning. To Remus' horror, some had even seen it, and so no one really questioned the name Moony when they heard it thereafter.

"That's what Leanna told me she'd heard, but I couldn't believe you would actually do it.' Lindi laughed. "Whose idea was that?"

"Peter's," said Remus, and it had been another one of Peter's more helpful ideas.

"Why didn't you just tell me? It's not _that_ bad," Lindi said.

Remus shrugged his shoulders. It certainly wasn't _that_ bad considering the truth, but he really didn't want to think about that. They were having too much fun.

While Lindi grinned and accepted the story easily, he noticed Lily looking at him rather thoughtfully for a moment; then she smiled and reached for a butterbeer.

He wondered what she had been thinking. Could she have guessed? But he didn't have time to contemplate for long, because Lindi spoke up again.

"Well, dare I ask what the rest of your nicknames mean?"

"I don't know; do you?" said James.

"What do you think they mean?" asked Peter.

"Why do you think we call Prongs _Prongs_?" Sirius asked with a puckish grin.

Blood rushed into Lindi's cheeks and Remus felt sure it wasn't the Firewhiskey. She pressed her lips together as if trying very hard not to giggle and swapped glances with Lily, who looked equally on the verge of laughter. The looks on their faces reminded Remus of their rather risqué conversation about Padfoot and Prongs all those months ago.

James smirked cockily, leaned back into his chair, knees thrown wide the way men often sit and looked haughty enough to rival Sirius on a good day. "It's exactly why you think it is," he said smugly.

Lindi looked a little scandalized, and seemed unsure whether she should be embarrassed or highly amused. She stared at the ground, avoiding the laughing eyes looking back at her.

Lily naturally handled the crude innuendo rather better, though she did blink for a moment before regaining her composure. She finally looked around at the other Marauders. "You know, you should be ashamed of yourselves, taking the mickey out of him for something he can't help." She turned back to James as confusion started dawning on the Marauders' faces. "Although I have to admit, I'm impressed," she said. "I wouldn't have thought you could laugh at yourself, much less let others do it."

The Marauders were rarely caught off guard, but there were three sets of baffled eyes staring back at her. Even Lindi looked up from the floor questioningly.

"What do you mean?" asked Peter.

""Well, don't you think he feels bad enough, without a constant reminder that he's a mutated freak?" Lily continued.

"What are you on about?" James said, sitting up, not quite so haughty.

With a pretense of delicacy, Lily said, "_Prongs_?" She raised her eyebrows pointedly as James stared, still not following her. "Prong—_za! Plural?" _Lily grimaced significantly.

Lindi emitted something like a mortified giggle shriek.

James gaped at Lily amid the snorts of laughter from his friends. He would be doing some quick thinking for a comeback to that.

"It's plural because _Prongs_ sounds better than Prong!" he finally argued. He must have known the argument was a bit lame, and he was on the verge of laughter himself.

So Lily continued taking the mickey when she said, "Right…" and winked at him, obviously _pretending_ she was playing along with him. "Whatever you say. I won't say anymore. I can't blame you for not wanting to discuss your, er, _abnormality_."

"I don't have any _abnormality_! I assure you!"

"Of course you don't," Lily winked again, trying her best to torment James, though it seemed a good deal like flirting to Remus.

"I think she wants you to prove it, Prongs," Sirius said.

"Fine," said James, and he pushed himself up out of the chair, grasping at his robes.

Lindi gasped and covered her face.

"Don't you dare," said Lily, apparently confident that James was in fact willing to call her bluff.

He cocked a brow at her, challenging, and started to tug at the robes.

"Don't!" Lily laughed. "You are such a…" Uncharacteristically flustered, she didn't seem to have an answer for what she thought James was.

"I'm a what?" James asked with the playfully arrogant air of one who knows he's won. "A devilishly handsome bloke with _NO_ abnormality?"

"Ha!" she protested a bit _too_ energetically. But there was a hint of a pink tinge coming into Lily's fair cheeks, and she didn't seem to be looking straight at James any longer. Rather, she rolled her eyes hugely. "Fine! I'll concede the lack of abnormality, and definitely the devilish part, but let's not get carried away!" She turned to the rest of the group and added rather quickly. "I think we should get on with our cards."

Victory shone in James's eyes as they gathered up their drinks and proceeded to the poker table to begin their game. He must have got the same feeling Remus had, that the blush on Lily's face had nothing to do with the implied abnormality, or even the threat of being shown its non-existence. After all, Lily was the one who had insinuated it in the first place.

No, it was the sort of blush that came with blatant flirting, when one of the parties is taken a little off guard. Remus had seen it on Lindi's face, numerous times. Of course, it didn't necessarily mean dates for James and Lily were imminent. After all, months had gone by between the first time Lindi had blushed at Remus and their first date.

And Remus would never say so to James, but it didn't even mean he and Lily would _ever_ go out. Hadn't Lindi blushed that way at Sirius, when Sirius had been trying to get her in the broom closet for that bet, all those months ago?

No, he wouldn't say anything like that, and ruin what was obviously a very good night for James. Remus figured James was too smart to put much stock into one blush, anyway.

Still, James was clearly feeling chuffed by the way things were going, so it couldn't have been easy for him to pretend it didn't bother him when Lily finally excused herself from the poker table, in order to meet Hal. It must have been especially difficult to hide his disappointment after quite a few Firewhiskeys.

Remus was impressed. He was sure he would not be so cool in the same situation after the number of Firewhiskeys he'd already had that night. Granted, James held his drink a bit better than Remus, but still….

Soon after Lily's departure, Lindi lost her last Sickle and asked to be dealt out, as well. She had learned the rules quickly, but not surprisingly, she never quite managed to keep a good poker face, making it easy for the Marauders to call her bluffs. On the other hand, her trusting nature made it very easy for them to bluff her, and therefore her Sickles hadn't lasted very long. James offered to lend her more money, but she insisted she needed to study anyway, and furthermore, she said she felt like an intruder on their _masculine_ _bonding activity_.

Leaving them to their cards, she settled onto the sofa, with several books opened on the table before her. Sirius had summoned Fwibble, and the eager House Elf had happily retrieved Lindi's things from the kitchen.

Every now and then, one of the Marauders would call for Lindi to pour them another Firewhiskey, since she _was_ the maid. After several rounds of cards _and drinks_, Remus was beginning to think they were only drinking so they could watch Lindi lean over to pour it or walk back to the sofa in that tiny little dress, the cloak having long since disappeared. He'd caught Sirius dead to rights, gazing hungrily at the deeply plunging scoop of her neckline when she leaned over to fill Peter's glass.

When Remus had cleared his throat quite pointedly, Sirius hadn't even pretended to be embarrassed. Rather, he shrugged his shoulders and gave a look that said he wasn't to blame.

And Remus _couldn't_ really blame Sirius. He was finding it nearly impossible to stop gawking at her, himself. It wasn't helping his poker game. Not that he really cared at this point. He was rather anxious for it to be over, so he might spend some time alone with her.

While Peter considered his next play, Remus lifted his drink to his lips. The warm liquid slipped down his throat. Over the rim of the glass, his eyes focused, surprisingly clearly, on Lindi. She was reclining on the sofa now, deeply immersed in the book resting on her bent bare knees. She had removed the fishnet stockings in the bathroom earlier, because they had been scratchy. Remus thought the netted hose were very sexy, in an obvious sort of way, but now, the bare legs propped up on the sofa…the fire casting dancing shadows on the firm, well toned thighs…

James had always said riding a broomstick was good exercise and he was clearly correct. Gripping a broomstick tightly between one's legs…

Remus took a deep breath and forced his eyes away from the exposed ruffle of her knickers. He took another sip of the Firewhiskey. It didn't burn going down anymore. Still, he was becoming uncomfortably warm. Of course, it might have been the fire burning a few feet away.

Or it might have been a reaction to the rising and falling of Lindi's chest, as it strained the fabric of the French Maid costume with each breath she took.

Up…

Down…

Up…

He was vaguely aware of his friends sniggering about something, but it wasn't nearly as interesting as Lindi's—_breathing_.

Only an elbow in his ribs finally diverted his attention. He turned to look at Peter.

"Enjoying the, er, _décor_, Moony?" Peter asked quietly.

_Crap!_ They must have noticed him staring. He wasn't fully aware of how obvious he had been, since the Firewhiskey had quite dulled his senses, as well as his good sense, apparently.

He grinned, a little embarrassed.

Sirius leaned over, prompting Peter and James to do the same, and said in a hushed voice? "The last time I saw you with a look like that in your eyes, it took Prongs and me _both_ to hold you back."

Sirius cocked a brow, giving Remus a darkly humorous look that made it impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

James joined in the teasing. "Could you _be_ any randier? I think you're actually drooling."

Instinctively, Remus reached up and wiped at his mouth, eliciting a roar of laughter from his friends.

"What's so funny?" called Lindi.

At the commotion, she had looked up from her book. Remus froze, fearful one of his friends might actually tell her, in their state of alcohol enhanced euphoria. To his relief, James and Peter only laughed harder, making it virtually impossible for them to talk if they'd wanted to. Sirius, on the other hand, managed to get himself under control enough to say, "It's just Moony! He's lost all control of his poker face and now we all know exactly what he's got."

Peter leaned over and whispered something to James that made them both chortle all the more and Remus could only imagine what crude thing it might be. He knew he should probably be at least a little irritated with them, but they were enjoying themselves so, and the Firewhiskey had made him just as giddy. He couldn't help but laugh at their hilarity.

On the other hand, Lindi had been nursing the same drink for quite a while. She looked at the four as though she thought they were being positively ludicrous. "Ahh," she said. "Well that _is_ a crack up," and she leaned over and put her book on the table.

She swung her legs over the edge of the sofa and sat up, stretching languidly. If she wasn't careful, she was going to pop the seams of that costume. The golden light from the fire cast a deep shadow, accentuating the already impressive depth of her cleavage…

More sniggering…

"There you go again, Moony." Peter tittered.

"Come on," said James softly, nodding to the others. "Let's get out of here. I think Moony has better things to do than lose any more Sickles to us."

They would get no argument from Remus and he helped them clear up the cards and coins from the table.

"Good night, Lindi," Peter called as he started for the door.

"Oh, are you finished playing?" she asked, looking up from a sheet of parchment she had started writing on. "Who won?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Moony did," Peter said, casting Remus a _you-lucky-bastard_ smile.

"See you later, Lindi," James said. "Have fun."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," said Sirius, causing Lindi to roll her eyes and look away. But Sirius didn't see this. He was looking pointedly at Remus. The look didn't quite match the teasing statement.

Remus figured it was the alcohol, so he joked back. "I didn't think there was such a thing."

"Well, there is," Sirius said so that Lindi couldn't hear. He glanced over and saw her watching again. "Just don't be stupid," he added in even more of an undertone.

"Moony's never stupid, Padfoot," said James, and he hiccoughed. "You know that, so come on."

One last dark look and Sirius followed James and Peter out through the secret opening and pushed the mirror back into place. A little puzzled by Sirius' behavior, Remus turned towards Lindi, still sitting on the sofa, all that bare skin glowing in the firelight.

He quickly forgot whatever he'd been perplexed about.


	50. A Dangerous Combination

**A Dangerous Combination**

**_A/N: A huge thank you to kiley for stepping in and doing such a wonderful beta job, and on short notice, for me. _****_She really saved me when I was in a bind_**. **_Also,_** **_I'd like to thank MaraudersWolf for her thoughts on the chapter. I always feel better when she assures me it isn't a total pile of rubbish._**

**_I should warn you that this chapter is a little bit of a departure for me. I hope it isn't too much. *nervous*_**

**_Happy New Year!_**

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"I thought they'd never leave," Lindi said, rolling up her parchment and placing it in her bag.

"So did I," Remus answered.

Before she had a chance to say another word, he dropped onto the sofa next to her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, overcome by the irresistible urge to kiss her.

The fragrance and taste of a recently eaten Peppermint Toad lingered on her breath and lips. It was delicious, and Remus explored heartily for more. After a minute or two, she pulled back and held him at bay while she caught her breath, laughing off his uncharacteristically aggressive behavior.

"Wow," she said. "And here I thought you were enjoying your card game."

"I was, for a while, but…" He looked at her longingly and admitted, "You were too much of a distraction." He leaned over and kissed her again, but she soon pushed him back once more.

"_Ree-mus_," she said, gently chiding. Then she smiled shyly, a little embarrassed by his obvious desire.

The incongruity between her demure smile and everything else about the way she looked, so voluptuous in that costume, those bedroom eyes and lush lips glistening in the warm golden light…

It was almost enough to drive him completely mad. The firewhisky probably didn't help his sanity, but he was far too focused on the beauty in front of him to give any thought to the danger of _that_.

Unable to control himself, or simply not wanting to, he started to pull her to him yet again, but she pushed back against him and said, "_Wait_, Remus."

Frustration battled with embarrassment as Remus mentally chastised himself. _What are you doing, Remus? She obviously doesn't want to do this. Don't be a cad!_

Fortunately, she smiled, apparently finding his assertive behavior amusing rather than completely obnoxious or inappropriate.

"I want to give you your present, before we have to go back to our houses," she explained.

"Oh, right," he said, relieved to know that she wasn't simply rejecting his advances. But then another feeling joined in the mix.

He would not have admitted it to his friends (and didn't like admitting it to himself), but if he was completely honest, he felt _disappointment _flare up inside him. He could hardly believe he had held even a miniscule fraction of a hope that her _gift_ might be what James had alluded to that morning when joking about him _becoming a man_, and what Remus so desperately wanted at the moment.

Obviously, she had something _else_ to give him. His head spun as he sat up straight, and he realized he was very hot around the collar. He loosened his robes at the neck as the possibility that he'd had _way _too much to drink finally occurred to him. There was no other way to explain his obvious delusion.

_For the love of Merlin, Remus, how could you be so stupid? You know her better._

_Besides, you couldn't anyway…she doesn't know the truth. _

He was happy for the distraction when she pulled from her bag a shiny wrapped package the size of a large shoebox, and a cylinder similar to the one that held the poster Peter had given him that morning.

His attention temporarily diverted and his curiosity peaked, he chose to open the cylinder first. As he unrolled the parchment inside, an unfamiliar man and woman smiled out at him. When it was completely opened, the man took the woman in his arms and the two did a very impressive dance step, ending with the woman in a deep dip. They looked back at him as if waiting for applause. Remus stared at it, rather befuddled.

Lindi, on the other hand, beamed at him and asked eagerly, "Do you know what it is?"

"A poster of dancers?" he asked, thinking it an odd thing for her to expect him to hang on his wall.

"Well, yes," she said, smiling as if at a simpleton. "But it's actually a dance instruction. I thought it would be fun for us to take together."

He stared at her, a little dumbstruck. _Dancing instruction_…_Hasn't she figured out I'm not graceful?_ _Does she want me to cripple her?_

But she seemed so pleased with the gift, and he knew that if it would make her happy, he would try anything. He would even pretend he enjoyed it, if he needed to. Of course, it _could_ actually be fun. After all, Sirius certainly seemed to enjoy himself when he and Lindi danced together at the ball. Remus really wouldn't mind an excuse to hold her close like that.

"How does it work?"

"You just hang it on the wall; then select one of these dances—" she pointed at a list in the lower left corner, "by tapping it with your wand; then they show you the steps and you follow along." The dancers in the picture twirled around again and smiled. "And this is the deluxe version. They'll even tell you if you do something wrong," she added brightly, clearly excited about the gift. "But you also need _this_." She handed him the shiny shoebox-sized package.

Inside, he found a small portable wireless. He might have been muddled by his desire for Lindi (and the firewhisky), but he was lucid enough to consider the expense of her gifts. He had no idea how much the dance course cost, but he'd seen the wireless advertised in the _Daily Prophet_ before Christmas. These small ones were quite new and fairly costly. The wireless alone would have been an extravagant gift from someone of Lindi's means. Had she spent her very last Knut on him?

"Lindi, how could you afford this?" he asked, even if it was rather rude to do so. "You must have spent all the money you made last summer and this Christmas combined." But he remembered that she had already spent a large portion of her summer tips on those new robes for the ball…

She looked a little uncomfortable. He knew it was probably inappropriate to have asked rather than just accept the gift graciously, but they were deep enough into their relationship that they could be honest with one another.

Never mind that he still hadn't told her _his_ secret.

He forced that out of mind and gave her a querying look.

Appearing even more uncomfortable, she said, "I guess it won't be a secret much longer, anyway." She bit her lip in consternation.

"What, Lindi?"

"Well, do you remember when Darlene tore my new robes at the Crystal Ball?"

"Yes," he answered, breaking into a grin. He wouldn't soon forget the two girls fighting over him. "How could I forget that?"

She, on the other hand, cringed at the humiliating memory, but went on. "Well, I had to have them repaired, so I took them back to Madam Malkin's." She paused.

"_And_?" Remus prompted.

"Well, while I was there, her son came in. He runs her shop in Paris. He also oversees her advertisements." She added this last rather quickly.

"_And_?" The grin softened a bit.

She looked almost embarrassed when she finally said, "Well, he asked me to be a model for their new spring collection."

"What?" he said, the remains of the grin sliding from his face.

"He asked me to model some of their new robes for spring. He even offered to pay me. And Madam Malkin said she'd do the repairs on my robes for free. It was really strange, but…" She looked at him as if searching for his approval.

"How does that work? Where do you have to go? How old is this Malkin bloke?" He had many questions, and while the last one might seem irrelevant, it wasn't to Remus.

Lindi's eyes twinkled with humor. "I don't know. I didn't ask him. Late twenties, early thirties, maybe. Why?"

Remus might have been more embarrassed under normal circumstances. He knew he was being very territorial, and that she knew it, too, but he couldn't help himself. Fortunately, she seemed to enjoy it, rather than finding it creepily possessive. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to pretend it was of no real consequence. "Just curious."

Smiling knowingly, she set his mind at ease. "Well, I wasn't, so I'm not sure, and I don't have to go anywhere. It's already done. I did it over the hols."

"Did what?" he asked.

"Modeled the robes, silly."

"Oh, right," he said, deciding he really should pour out the rest of his firewhisky and be done with it. "Where did you do it? Did they have some sort of show?"

"Oh, Merlin, no! I don't think I'd have the nerve to do that. They just took pictures."

"This Malkin bloke took pictures of you? What is he doing with them?" His hackles rose again. He didn't like the thought of some twenty or thirty-something-year-old man taking pictures of her, and doing…whatever he might be doing with them.

She giggled at him, enjoying his protective instincts. "No, Mr. Malkin didn't; they had an actual photographer do it. Some bloke that works for Mr. Malkin in Paris. And the pictures will be in the _Daily Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly_ this week." She made a funny face, squinching up her nose as if she could not believe she'd done such a thing. "Isn't that strange? I'm not sure what I was thinking. I really hope they aren't awful."

Remus actually snorted. Between the firewhisky and the preposterous idea that the pictures might be awful, he couldn't help himself. He thought of the picture Peter had given him that morning and the one he had on his bedside table that had been taken at the Crystal Ball. Lindi was nothing if not photogenic. Madam Malkin's son had probably spotted it right away. _Unless he's blind…_"I'm sure they'll be good, Lindi. How could they not be?"

She bit her bottom lip again, this time smiling gratefully.

_Yes, _he thought_, how could they not? God, she is so beautiful!_

And it wasn't just the firewhisky talking, though it might have been to blame for his total lack of control when he leaned over and kissed her again, wanting to be the one nibbling on that lush lip. This time, she didn't stop him right away. It wasn't until he'd somehow maneuvered them into lying on the sofa that she pushed back on his chest and turned her face away.

"_Remus_," she said, breathless. "I—I think we should try out the dance lesson—before it's too late."

Dancing wasn't exactly what he had in mind at the moment, but there was almost a note of panic in her voice. He had to admit his heart was racing as if he'd just found himself in very dangerous territory. That he didn't know just how he'd ended up lying on top of her _was_ a little disconcerting, particularly for someone who was always so careful to maintain control. He felt a little too like he did those mornings after a full moon, when the Marauders didn't manage to get him back to his room in the Shrieking Shack on time, and he didn't know where he was or how he'd got there.

He remembered Sirius' earlier comment about the look in his eyes. Perhaps this _was_ dangerous territory, Lindi in that skimpy dress, all that firewhisky, the two of them together in a hidden room…all alone… This could definitely be a dangerous combination.

He agreed to try the dancing.

He pushed himself up and sat against the back of the sofa, a little dizzy. Lindi stood up, brushing down her dress and checking that she was still fully covered on top, or as covered as the tiny dress allowed. She leaned down and took the poster from the table, showing him the code word in the lower right corner. "You dial that into the wireless and that's how you get the sound. It will play the music and let us hear their voices so they can tell us how we're doing." But he had missed the code, distracted by the way the tight bodice of her dress made her bulge out the top as she leaned over to show him. He watched her walk to the wall and attach the poster to it. She laughed at him when he couldn't enter the code. Of course, he told her he had forgotten it, rather than admit he'd never seen it to start with.

She called it off to him, but his fingers weren't working quite as well as they usually did and he kept messing up, running the dial past the letters. Static filled the air. Finally, giggling at his total incompetence (or more accurately, his inebriation), she entered it herself. Clear tones rang out and she took him by the hand and helped him off the sofa. Then she took her wand from her bag and slid the sofa against the wall to create a little bit of open floor.

While he hadn't been at all enthused about dancing, he found that it was actually not bad. Somehow he was less awkward than he had been at the ball. Perhaps the drink had loosened him up. He seemed to move much more easily with the music—and with Lindi. He liked the way his hand fit on the curve of her hip, and the way their bodies brushed against one another during passes and spins. He especially liked the way their bodies swayed together when he had to pull her in close.

Of course, he still wasn't very good at dancing, even if he was better than he'd been at the ball. When he tried the more complicated moves, his hands often ended up in places that probably should have earned him a slap on the face. But Lindi just moved them to a more appropriate spot and gave him a playfully chastising grin.

The instructor, Master LaStaire, was not so generous. "Young man," he scolded. "If you weren't so clumsy all round, I'd say you were doing that on purpose."

Lindi's blush was obvious even in the fiery hue of the torchlight.

Annoyed, Remus flicked his wand at the poster. Maybe he should have used it to dial the wireless, for even in his less-than-sober state, his aim was fairly accurate. All that dueling practice had paid off. The parchment came loose at the bottom and rolled up tightly. There was an indignant exclamation from Master LaStaire. His partner, Madam Roget, rebuked the man for being insensitive to the young dancers. Before the instructors' argument completely ruined the mood, Remus aimed his wand at the wireless dial and gave it a swirl until it came to a station with something more acceptable.

New music, slow and sensual, filled the room. That was more like it. Lindi gazed up at him, looking a little nervous, but smiled, trusting. The torches flickered in their sconces and with a wave of his wand the flames dimmed to a warm glow.

She swallowed, but made no objection.

He returned the wand to his pocket and pulled her to him. His fingers might have been fumbling, but they could feel her. He let them slide over the satiny fabric of the dress as they circled her waist. Their bodies pressed together, swaying in time to the seductive beat. Back and forth…The scent of her hair filled his nostrils. The smooth, exposed skin of her shoulder begged to be caressed and kissed. So he obliged, working slowly up to that graceful neck. Blood pumped through his veins, filling his ears with a thwumping rush. He found it hard to breath. His whole body ached for her.

_What are you doing, Remus? _a voice called from somewhere far away.

_Just dancing_, he answered. _Go away_.

He lost the beat and his body shifted out of time with hers, brushing against her clumsily. He felt her stiffen, as if something had startled her. She pulled away from him a little.

Had she felt what she had done to him?

He stopped dancing, too, pulled his lips away from her fragrant neck and gazed down at her, light-headed with drink and desire. She stood, frozen, looking slightly petrified. Yes, he was sure she had noticed his reaction.

But he wasn't embarrassed. For once, he didn't try to hide what she did to him. He _wanted_ her to know.

He gazed down at her, waiting for her to look into his eyes. When she finally did, he saw the alarm in hers, but he did not laugh. It was not the same as the night of the Crystal Ball, when he had found her anxiety over their first kiss both endearing and humorous. While that had been a wondrously amazing and important moment in their relationship, this was far more serious. He knew it and from the look in her eyes, and tremble of her body, so did she.

Would she run? Would his intense gaze and obvious arousal scare her away?

_It should! What are you doing, Remus? Tell—_

_Shut up! _

But his conscience wouldn't let him off so easily.

The familiar voice of his father echoed in his mind. _You don't want to be making love to a girl who doesn't know the whole truth about you, Remus._

_I know that! _he argued with the niggling voice._ But…._

But he _did_ want to be making love to her. He'd never wanted anything more in his entire life. His head was spinning; he was barely able to hear the sultry beat of the music for the blood pounding in his ears. She stared back at him, lips parted, quivering slightly, waiting. He could almost smell her fear.

Yet she didn't run. She just stood there, watching him, breathing heavily as one does when frightened—or aroused. Her chest rising and falling…

Firelight and shadow danced on the walls around them.

It was all immensely erotic.

God, he wanted her. He wanted her so badly all else was burned from his mind. He slid his right hand from her waist and reached up, letting his hand skim lightly over the slick fabric again as it went. The breath caught in her throat at the delicate brush across her body.

"Remus," she barely whispered.

He hesitated for an instant, waiting for her to go on, to object.

But she didn't. She just kept standing there, breathing, gazing into his eyes. If he'd been more lucid, he might have recognized the pleading in her face.

But all he saw in those sparkling eyes was a woman who wanted him, too.

He softly touched the lips that had spoken his name. He loved those lips, the feel of them, the taste of them. How he loved it when they said his name, choosing him each time they did. He longed to kiss them.

But first he wanted to see…

He let a finger slip down the silken skin of her neck. She swallowed deeply and her eyes fluttered to a close. He let the finger slide on until it came to a stop at the top of her dress. Slowly he traced it across her, following the edge of her bodice. A shiver ran through her as he grazed over the warm skin, up and down and up again… Finally, he reached the side and slid his finger under the elastic strap. It slipped easily off of her shoulder.

She swallowed.

His heart pounded. Her bare skin was like a visual drug. Thanks to that costume, he had nearly overdosed, seeing more of her than he'd dared dream, but as often happened with addictive potions, the more he saw, the more he wanted to see.

He slowly pulled at the ribbon that laced the bodice snuggly together….

A quavering breath escaped her that had nothing to do with loosening the constriction on her lungs. Then again, maybe the breath escaping had been his own at the site before him. The blood was pounding so hard through him, he thought he might explode.

"_Remus_…" Her whisper was breathless.

He tore his eyes from her and looked into her lovely face. He recognized the fear in it now. He slipped the strap of her dress back up onto her shoulder. She seemed to breathe a little easier and didn't resist when he pulled her close, kissing those lips he loved so much.

He wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but suddenly they were back on the sofa. His hands seemed to have a mind of their own, now that there was so little between them and her soft supple skin. Her only protests came in the breathy gasping of his name, though he preferred to think she was actually encouraging him. Later he would question how the alcohol could befuddle one into believing whatever they wanted to believe, but for now, he only knew what he wanted.

The fire crackled; the beat of the music drummed; her face was flushed; her skin was warm under his caress…

"_Remus_," she begged, grabbing his hand firmly at last. "Please; we can't."

This time, with the help of the firmness of her grasp, he could hear the desperation in her voice, loud and clear. It brought him back to reality like a sharp blow.

What the hell was he doing?

He pushed himself up off of her and looked down into her anxious face. A wave of nausea rolled through his stomach as realization set in. It was bad enough that he was pushing her beyond where he knew she was comfortable, but he was doing it even when she still didn't know the truth about him.

_What the hell is wrong with you, Remus?_

With a grunt of self-disgust, he pushed himself up and fell back heavily against the sofa, hiding his face with his hands. He sat there, filling with shame and self-loathing. His father's words accused him.

He felt the sofa move when Lindi sat up. "Remus?" she asked tremulously.

He could feel her beside him, waiting, anxious, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her just yet, much less speak.

"Oh, Remus," she finally said, her voice sounding like it was close to breaking. "I'm sorry. Please don't be angry. I just…"

His nausea intensified. Why on earth was she apologizing to_ him_?

"Don't, Lindi," he managed to croak. Swallowing back the bile creeping up his throat, he forced himself to look at her. There were tears welling in her eyes. _Oh, no. Please don't cry_! He didn't think he could deal with that at the moment. He hated himself enough already. "Don't apologize. I'm not angry with _you_. It's _my_ fault, all of it. I'm the one who's sorry, for _everything_. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Those fathomless, watering eyes looked at him with an intensity he could hardly bear. "It's no one's fault. You have nothing to be sorry for either." She reached out and touched his shoulder, eyes searching his face. "And don't you know—it isn't that I don't want to?"

A large knot caught in his throat. He was not prepared for this. As much as he wanted it, it was not the right time. _Tell her, Remus, before it's too late. _

_If it isn't already…_ But he couldn't find his voice. The way she was looking at him…

"I _do_ want to. More than anything. I just—I just want it to be perfect," she said wistfully.

He could have smiled if he hadn't felt so sick from guilt. She wanted him. But she was so naïve, or was it simply idealistic? He could see her dreaming of the long white gown, doves flying, being carried over the threshold of their perfect home in his arms, champagne chilling by the bedstead…

But what of the scars when they were finally revealed on his bare back?

"Nothing's perfect, Lindi," he said, not as gently as he'd have liked.

Her wistful expression faltered slightly at the unmasked bitterness in his voice. "It could be—if we let it."

He looked away, closing his burning eyes tightly. But he could still see her hopeful, sincere expression. He loved her optimism. It had been such a long time in coming. He'd worked so hard to help her find it, and hated himself for being the one who would destroy it, to give her reason to start thinking she was cursed all over again.

"You really believe that, don't you?" he asked, forcing himself to look at her.

"Yes," she said, nodding stridently. "I _know_ it."

She looked so deeply into his eyes that it actually scared him. He knew this was all wrong, but he found himself helpless to stop it. He couldn't make himself speak, though his conscience was screaming, _Tell her! _

But he didn't…knowing that he should—knowing what was coming. It was like being a deer caught in the headlights of a train and being frozen to the track.

Her words hit him like a steaming locomotive.

"Because I love you, Remus."


	51. Guiltridden

Chapter 50 Guilt-ridden

_A/N_: _Thanks to MaraudersWolf for betaing. _

_I had hoped to take this chapter much further than this goes. However, in light of my limited time, it will take a while longer to get all that I wanted to cover in this one written. Also, due to my verbosity, :*) it would be far over the word limit for chapters on MNFF and I'd end up having to split it anyway. Therefore, I am going ahead and posting this on its own. Hope you don't mind. _

_Also, keep in mind the time frame of this story when judging Remus' reaction to what has happened. During the years when the Marauders were young, premarital sex was not as common as statistics show it is today. Not that it didn't occur, but it was something of a scandal when it did. Remus would also be thinking about his furry little problem. And since it has been so long since the last update, :*( remember he has been drinking rather heavily. So, anyway, I hope this helps explain the way I've written Remus and his reactions. Now I'll shut up so you can read. I hope you don't hate it. _

_* * *_

_I love you_…the words echoed in his mind. Remus found it difficult to breath. Three little words…so powerful, so wondrous—_so wrong_.

_I love you_…Three words that less than a year ago he never would have dreamt he'd hear from anyone outside his family. Three words he had fantasized hearing from the woman in front of him almost since the day he'd first laid eyes on her.

And now he had. Lindi had said them. _I love you_…

The glut of emotion roiling inside him made his head spin, his stomach churn. He should be elated.

But he wasn't.

Instead, he was drowning in guilt. How could he have let it come to this?

_I love you_… And he knew she meant it; he could see it in her eyes.

_At least she THINKS she does_, he thought bitterly. _But she doesn't. And she shouldn't! You are a bloody_…but he couldn't think of a word harsh enough. _Arse is too good for you…you are a bleeding selfish—coward! _

"Remus?" Her gentle voice broke through his thoughts. She was watching him anxiously, waiting. She had probably expected a different response than the agonized look that must have been on his face.

He had to tell her. He owed her an explanation—no matter what the outcome. He reached up and softly stroked her cheek, relishing the softness and warmth. Oh, she was so beautiful and gentle and—_perfect_. A bittersweet smile crossed his lips in awe that _he'd_ ever had something so fine, even for a few moments. He didn't want to lose her; could hardly bear the thought of it.

But he didn't really have her. He only had a lie. He definitely couldn't bear _that_ anymore.

"Lindi," he said at last.

But she stopped him, placing her fingers on his lips. "Don't, Remus. Don't say anything," she said. There was a sense of urgency in her voice and on her face.

He didn't quite understand. She'd just told him she loved him. Surely she expected a response. Hadn't she just solicited one? Granted, she probably didn't expect anything like he was about to tell her.

She lowered her hand, but jerked it back into place when he said, "I want to tell—"

"_Please_," she said. "I don't want you to. Whatever you want to say, I want you to wait."

"But—"

"Please, Remus," she nearly begged. She gazed into his eyes as if searching for clues to something, but at the same time seemed fearful of what she might find. Finally, she answered his confused stare. "I love you. There are only two ways for you to respond to that and I don't want to hear either one of them right now."

"What do you mean?"

She only hesitated for another moment as her brow knotted pensively. "If you tell me what I _want_ to hear, I'd only worry that you were saying it because I said it first and you feel obligated—or that it was only the firewhisky talking."

Said firewhisky churned in his stomach, as the guilt for having imbibed far too much shook him. He couldn't blame her for not trusting anything he said at the moment. He knew she shouldn't trust him at all—not after the way he'd just behaved. _Not to mention, you've been lying to her for months! _his conscience screamed at him_. _

"Or…" she continued, but paused and took a deep breath. She seemed to need it as much to get up the nerve to say what came next as to get oxygen. "Or, you could tell me you _don't_ love me. Or maybe you don't _know_ if you do. Either way, under the circumstances…" She looked down and indicated the French Maid costume. "Well, I'd look quite the fool, wouldn't I?"

She looked back up, slightly shamefaced and forced an uneasy laugh. Remus knew her well enough to know that she was far more worried about looking a fool for letting him treat her the way he had if he didn't love her, than for wearing the skimpy dress.

"You're no fool, Lindi," he said before she could stop him or he could stop himself. Even in his inebriated state, he understood her reasons for not wanting him to say he loved her just now, but he couldn't stand that she was worried he didn't. How could she still think there was even a possibility of that, even if he hadn't come out and said it?

Her forced smile turned into one of genuine relief. The tension in her face softened and she threw her arms around his neck. They held one another tightly, each finding comfort in the other's embrace. Remus wished he could freeze time.

Unfortunately, all too soon, she pulled back and smiled at him.

Despite his inner turmoil, he couldn't help but return the smile. Oh how he loved seeing her happy.

But now what? Should he tell her and completely ruin her night, just when she was so relieved? Hadn't she already been through enough today?

_Bloody hell, Remus, there's always going to be an excuse not to. Just tell her!_

"Lindi—"

But before he could say anymore, she reached over and took his wrist, checking the time on his new watch. "Oh, crikey!" she cried. "It's past curfew already! We'd better go, or Professor McGonagall will argue I _am_ a fool; breaking curfew on top of _this_!" She indicated the costume again, then grabbed her bag and began scrambling for her school robes.

_Crap! _Remus had finally gotten up the nerve to tell her and there wasn't time. Of course, there was more than a small part of him that was _not _disappointed and he was sickened by it.

_You really are a bloody, stinking coward. How on earth you ended up in Gryffindor is beyond me!_

But what could he do now? It _was_ past curfew. They _would_ be in trouble if they were caught. And it probably would be much better if he were completely sober and coherent when he told her something this important.

Besides, he really wanted her to read that book, _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_, first. It would give her a much better insight into lycanthropy, without the emotional barriers that would be involved when hearing it from him.

Loathing himself for his weakness, he stood up and helped her pull the robes over the French Maid costume.

The walk back to Ravenclaw Tower was a quiet one. Lindi seemed content to go in silence, hand in hand, only turning to look at him now and then, her eyes silently repeating the words from before. _I love you._

For his part, Remus felt sure his own eyes answered her in kind. She might not want him to _say_ it just now, but he wouldn't have been able to hide the way he felt if he'd tried. From the smile on her lips and the squeeze of his hand, he thought she must have understood. When he returned the little squeeze, she nearly winced. Perhaps the firewhisky made it hard for him to tell how firmly he was gripping her fingers, but he wanted to hold on tight and never let go.

Too soon though, he had to. They'd been lucky not to come upon anyone in the corridors and made it to Ravenclaw Tower in good time. They didn't dare linger long. She turned to him, as she always did at the end of an evening together. This is when he'd normally kiss her goodnight, but he didn't feel right doing it this time. Much as he would have liked a bit more kissing, he was too guilty. He'd already had quite a bit more than he deserved.

"Well, I hope you had a happy birthday, Remus," she said, after the short lull.

There was that little hint of insecurity in her voice. Was she still afraid she'd disappointed him?

"It was—amazing," he said, thinking of a way to describe it that wouldn't be a blatant lie, like saying it was wonderful or something. He was really tired of lying to her and hoped he sounded sincere. While the day might have ended with him feeling positively horrid, he would not let her know it and think _she_ had done anything wrong—not after all she'd gone through for him. When he remembered that costume, and the cake, and her singing on the table… It really _had_ been amazing. "_You_ were amazing," he said with all sincerity. "Thank you, Lindi."

Her cheeks bloomed pink and a coy little smirk crossed her lips. "You know, I think your friends might have been right about you liking this costume."

If he hadn't still been flushed with the firewhisky, (and self disgust) he probably would have blushed, too. "I'm afraid I have to plead guilty. Forgive me—but I wouldn't be much of a man if I didn't."

Even her demure grin couldn't distract him from the rest of his miserable thought_. Of course you aren't much of a man anyway! A real man would have told her the truth a long time ago!_

"Speaking of pleading guilty," she said. "You better get back to Gryffindor, before someone catches you out. It's really getting late, and I hear Mr. Filch has been on a rampage."

"Yes, I better." But he didn't leave just yet.

He knew it would be horribly awkward for him to just walk away. Though he didn't deserve to kiss her, he didn't want her to worry about it all night, and knew she would. So he leaned in to kiss her one last time goodnight. He'd meant to do it quickly, but as he felt the softness of her sweet lips pressed against his, he found it difficult to stop. He reached up and clasped her head in his hands, feeling the silken strands of her hair between his fingers. He loved that feel. He pulled her closer and kissed her with all the urgency and passion of a man who knows he might never have the opportunity again. It was only supposed to be a little goodnight kiss, but it felt like goodbye.

The next time they were alone together, he _would_ tell her the truth, even if it meant the end of their relationship.

But even if she reacted well to his secret, their relationship would be forever changed. He knew it. He knew he would never kiss her like this again, when her feelings for him were blissfully untainted by the knowledge of his curse. Something bright and pure would be lost. It was agony to think of it.

Forcing himself, he pulled back. Reluctantly, he lowered his hands from her head, letting them slip over her shoulders, down her arms and gently took hold of her fingers, prolonging the moment before he had to completely let her go.

She stared at him, looking a little befuddled by the desperation of his kiss, but pleasantly so. Guilt stabbed at his heart.

He squeezed her fingers and then slowly let them slip out of his hands. "Goodnight, Lindi."

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, though there was a question in her tone.

"Yes," he assured her, and she turned into the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. She looked back one last time and threw him a little wave before she vanished up the spiral staircase.

Memories of past encounters washed over him. The little wave at Kings' Cross before his first year; another at The Three Broomsticks; again the first day he'd actually met her, here at Hogwarts…After all this time, he'd nearly started believing they were destined to be together, but as he listened to her retreating steps up the stairs, that sense of goodbye threatened to suffocate him. He waited until he heard her muffled response to the riddle that would gain her entrance and then the distant click of the door shutting behind her.

Lonely silence surrounded him, leaving him no distraction from his guilty conscience.

With heavy feet, he started for Gryffindor Tower, but changed his mind. He didn't want to go back to his room just yet. All the things running round his mind would keep him tossing and turning and he didn't want to risk waking one of his friends and having to face questions. Of course, with all the firewhisky in his system, he likely would have fallen straight to sleep, and it was equally unlikely that he would have been able to rouse any of the other Marauders, either, but he wasn't thinking about that. He was too busy railing against himself for being such a selfish, cowardly cad.

He distractedly made his way back to the fourth floor secret passage, only ducking into a broom cupboard just in the nick of time to avoid Peeves. If the poltergeist hadn't been shouting taunts at the caretaker who was chasing behind him, Remus would have been caught breaking curfew while fairly intoxicated to boot. Filch would have enjoyed that, but as Remus hid behind the closed door, he figured it would only serve himself right.

By the time he arrived at the secret passage, he'd convinced himself that it was surely over with Lindi. She'd never be able to forgive him. Worse was the belief that he didn't deserve her forgiveness. _You should have told her the truth weeks ago! You knew she was falling for you. You wanted her to, wanted it so badly you lied to her, over and over! Bloody, selfish coward! _

He looked around at the chamber, littered with Peppermint Frog wrappers, half-eaten pasties and used napkins. He walked over to the table where his glass of firewhisky sat, a fingers worth still in the bottom. Picking it up, he watched the amber liquid, but didn't really see it. Instead, images of the night flashed in front of his eyes.

Lindi in that costume—_for him_…The way she leaned down and took his hand, pulling him off the sofa to dance…Her laughing face when he messed up a step…Turning down the lights and pulling her in tight…Swaying to the sultry beat…

Her nervous swallow as his fingers slipped the strap off her shoulder…

_She trusted you—and you betrayed her! _

The lace tie of her bodice slipping loose…

_Don't…_ He tried to block the image from his memory. He didn't deserve to relive that pleasure, though now, it could only bring him torment. And it did…

The shiver as he pulled the bodice down…the subtle but real grimace on her face…

How had he not seen that? _You just didn't recognize it, you bloody selfish prig! But you know how she is. You knew she didn't want to! _

This would have been a good time to use Occlumency to block everything from his mind, but he deserved the torture of facing his transgressions. The memories of them kept streaming through his consciousness.

Her hair splayed across the sofa…the taught thigh sliding under his hand…the panic in her eyes…

A mournful groan escaped him. _She didn't want to… And she doesn't even know what you are! You shouldn't even be snogging her—much less feeling her up! _

His shame was crushing. He thought about his mum and dad, how disappointed they would be if they knew.

_How could you, Remus?_

The amber liquid came back into focus. It sloshed around the glass from his shaking hands. He stared at it, still feeling the lingering affects. Or was he just dizzy with rage?

The firewhisky had made him reckless, careless, and selfish! He had to believe he would never have been so insensitive to Lindi's feelings if not for the drink.

_But you are the one who drank it! You bloody idiot!_

With a grunt of anger, Remus wound his arm back and then flung the glass against the stone wall as hard as he could. Shards of glass flew in all directions, glinting in the air like a firework.

It was a bit satisfying, so he turned and swept the Ogdens's VO from the table and hurled the quarter-full bottle at the wall, too. It exploded, sending glass and firewhisky raining down on the entire room. The smoldering cinders from the fire burst into flames as the alcohol sprinkled over them, startling him with the hiss and bright glare.

Remus' cheek burned and he wiped at it, feeling a sliver of glass tear at his skin. He picked the tiny shard out and dabbed at a dribble of blood as he surveyed the room again.

Glass and liquid sparkled on every surface, like coarse glitter.

According to Sirius, Remus' outburst should have made him feel better, but it didn't. Now, the room only reminded him more of the mess he was in. It mirrored the disaster he had surely made of his relationship with Lindi. Her feelings for him were probably going to be shattered like the bottle.

Thinking of it made him feel like breaking something else.

_But what good would that do? Haven't you lost enough control tonight?_

He reached up and clutched his hair, sighing heavily. Suddenly, he felt so tired. All the anxiety, guilt and alcohol had taken its toll. He stumbled to the sofa, still pushed against the wall, and nearly slipped on firewhisky and fragments of glass.

_What a mess._

Breaking the bottle and glass had been rash and stupid, even if it had felt good at the time_._

_But_ _it would be a fine mess if you fall and have to go to Madam Pomfrey to have glass pulled out of your arse. _

He reached up and felt the sticky blood where it was starting to clot on his face. _You're lucky you didn't put an eye out._

After brushing a few shards of glass from the sofa, he lowered himself heavily onto it. He knew he should just go back to the dormitory, but his legs felt like lead weights. He'd just rest here for a while…

"Moony."

Someone grabbed his shoulder and shook it gently, trying to rouse him. His eyes seemed to be cemented shut by a gritty paste. It felt like sandpaper rubbing across the inside of his eyelids when he tried to open them, so he stopped. Then he noticed that his tongue was practically dried to the roof of his mouth.

He groaned.

"Well, you _are_ alive." It was James and he was speaking far too loudly for Remus' comfort. "I was beginning to worry."

Remus yawned, creating just enough tears to help slide his eyelids open a bit. He regretted it as the light, dim though it was, pierced his brain like daggers. He groaned again.

"I share your pain," said James.

Remus doubted he did. Otherwise, James would whisper.

Unfortunately, James went on at a conversational volume, which sounded like yelling to Remus. "Quidditch practice is going to be excruciating."

The squeak of leather and sound of air being compressed from a cushion told Remus that James had taken a seat in one of the club chairs.

"What time is it?" Remus croaked and slowly rolled over onto his back.

"Nine-thirty; I have to be at the pitch by ten, but I wanted to make sure you weren't unconscious or anything."

"Think I was." The vibration from his hoarse voice made Remus' head throb. "Come to think of it, I wish I still was."

"Sorry," James said. "But what if you'd fallen and bashed in your head and were bleeding to death? Or you might have been face down in your own vomit."

"Urghh," Remus groaned again. He was more than queasy enough without the vile imagery.

"That's right; you'd be glad I'm here, wouldn't you?"

Remus didn't bother to answer. He struggled to sit up, but once he made it to nearly vertical, the pain in his head was even worse, like a sledgehammer beating on his skull from the inside out. Leaning back against the sofa, eyes closed hard against the light, he tried to remember just how much firewhisky he'd had to drink. Suddenly, that and a lot more came back to him. Another groan escaped him.

James didn't laugh or say anything humorous. When Remus finally wrenched his eyes open, James was watching him. Remus would have expected James to at least snicker at the self-induced misery, but there was no sign of amusement.

"So, you're all right then?" James said.

"I think I'll live."

James nodded in acknowledgement while he glanced around the room, taking in the shattered glass and firewhisky stains. Remus could tell James was dying to ask what had happened, but in a show of uncommon restraint, James merely commented, "This place is a mess."

Remus was immensely grateful. He was simply in no mood or condition to talk about it.

"That Fwibble is a jolly good house-elf," James continued, filling the silence with light conversation, something James was always good for.

Remus considered briefly that he might have missed some sarcasm, since a house-elf that left a room in such a state could hardly be considered 'good', even if it wasn't the house-elf's fault the room was a disaster. However, Remus didn't feel like discussing it.

James apparently did. "We told him to make sure you weren't disturbed," he explained. "Of course, we didn't expect you to be here all night."

There was that unspoken question James was trying so desperately not to ask.

Remus forced a small smile. Even the effort to do that caused a stabbing in his brain. He mashed his fingers to his eyes, pushing against the pressure behind them. It helped. At least it didn't feel like his eyeballs were going to blow out of their sockets anymore.

"Well, I guess I better get to the pitch," James said, clearly sensing Remus was not going to discuss the matter. The leather squeaked again as James stood and there was a rustle of cloth. Remus looked up and saw James pulling a bundle from his robes pocket. "Here are a couple of egg sandwiches and some bangers." He set them on the table and pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of the other pocket. "Wear this when you're ready to get back to the room. You look a mess." He dropped it on the sofa beside Remus and started for the door.

"Thanks, James," Remus said, hoping James realized it was for more than the food and cloak.

"See you later."

* * *

Remus finished off the food James had brought and must have fallen back to sleep, because it was late afternoon before he made it back to Gryffindor Tower. He only had to wait a minute or two for someone to come along and give the Fat Lady the password. He could have removed the Invisibility Cloak, but he really didn't want to run into anyone at the moment. He still hadn't even brushed his teeth and was wearing his wrinkled robes from the day before and he didn't want questions. He slipped in behind a second year and hurried up the stairs to his room.

"Oy, it lives!" said Sirius when Remus entered and slipped the cloak off.

"I don't know," said Peter doubtfully. "Are you sure it isn't an Inferius? It looks like the living dead to me."

Other than casting them a look, Remus ignored them. He got his bath kit together and headed to the showers after asking them to bring him something back from dinner. He wasn't in the mood to go to the crowded Great Hall.

_Are you sure you aren't just afraid to run into Lindi?_ The question flitted through his mind. But he liked to think it wasn't so much fear as simply a lack of energy and physical strength. Even with the extra sleep, he felt like utter crap. He would tell her soon, he assured himself.

He knew he would, because it was going to drive him insane until he did.

Back in his room, he pulled out his Transfiguration text and tried to complete the homework due on Monday. When his friends returned, he had only written two sentences. His mind was much too distracted. He set the work aside and tucked in to the roast chicken and rolls they'd brought to him. He kept expecting Sirius or Peter to say something about the previous night, but they just set about getting ready to go out for the evening. He wondered if James had already told them of the condition in which he'd found Remus and the room. Maybe James had told them not to say anything. Whatever the reason, he was thankful for it. He did not want to discuss it.

Soon, he was left alone again. Sirius had a date with Leanna. James was meeting with some of his team to strategize for the upcoming Quidditch match against Slytherin, and Peter, realizing he wasn't going to miss anything, was meeting some of his Divination classmates in the Great Hall to work on palmistry.

Though it only left him time to obsess over his problems, Remus was pleased that he didn't need to worry about questions. He used the time to skim over _Hairy Snout, Human Heart _again, and to think about what Lindi's reaction might be, and what he would say. He wanted to have all possible scenarios covered.

It must have been more than an hour before James returned to find Remus sitting on his bed, staring out the window, the book resting on his bent knees.

So caught up in his own thoughts, Remus didn't notice James enter until he heard the door click shut. After a brief exchange of small talk, during which James stowed his clipboard full of Quidditch maneuvers and removed his shoes, James sat down on his bed and stared at Remus, shifting his gaze between Remus' face and the book and back to his face.

Finally, he said, "So, are you going to tell me what happened last night, or am I going to have to pry it out of you?"

Remus gazed back, unsure how to begin to answer. It wasn't so much that he didn't want James to know what had happened as he just didn't want to actually say it out loud. As embarrassed and ashamed as he was, in honesty, Remus thought it might help to have a friend's perspective and maybe some advice. What he _didn't_ want was someone trying to convince him _not _to tell Lindi the truth. So he figured it was probably best to get James' opinion before Sirius returned. If anyone would still be of the opinion that Remus should not tell, it would be Sirius.

"Come on, Moony," said James after the pause. "You know it's driving me barmy. There was broken glass and firewhisky everywhere—and your face was bleeding, for Merlin's sake!"

Before James could burst with curiosity, Remus told him what had happened. It was difficult to look James in the eye and Remus left out as many of the sordid details as possible. Perhaps he left out too much of the detail, for when he finished by saying, "I just can't believe I did it," James looked confused and a bit apprehensive.

"What is it that you _did_—exactly?"

Remus really didn't want to be exact, but he didn't get the sense at all that James was looking for cheep thrills. James looked genuinely concerned.

So Remus told him more precisely what he had done. He was so ashamed that he stared at his knees through the entire story. And so, when he finally finished and looked up, he was not expecting the look that was on James' face.

Remus expected James to look revolted, but James actually rolled his eyes and let out a breath of relief. "Bloody hell, Moony! Is that it?"

This took Remus completely off guard. "Isn't that enough?"

"Well, yeah, but the way you were acting, I thought you'd—"James seemed to flounder for the right words. He raised his brows pointedly. Remus continued to look confused, so James went on. "You know—forced her to shag you or something."

Remus' mouth fell open. "_What_?"

"Well, that's the way you were acting." James said. "And you didn't even _touch—_you know?" James waved his hand to complete the question, thankfully trying to be uncharacteristically delicate, but Remus wanted to crawl under a rock.

Remus' face blazed. He didn't normally get embarrassed in front of his friends about _anything _anymore, but this was one of the most humiliating conversations he could imagine. (Possibly worse than the time his mother had confronted him about girls in the train.) He had never been more ashamed of himself for what he _had_ done, yet James was actually laughing at him.

Remus wondered if it was possible that he was being too hard on himself?

_No, you should never have gone nearly as far as you did without her knowing the truth. _

As embarrassed as he was, he answered James firmly, "But I _tried _to."

"Well, you can't blame a bloke for trying," James said.

Considering the gravity of the situation, Remus found James' flippancy a little annoying.

"Yes you _can_, James. First of all, she wanted me to stop a lot sooner than I did. Second—"

James interrupted. "Did she _tell_ you to?"

Remus thought back. "No, but—"

"Did you stop as soon as she did?"

"Yes, but—"

"Is _she_ angry with you?"

"No, but—"

"Good," said James in earnest this time. "Then I think you should go a little easier on yourself. Frankly, under the circumstances, I think you should put yourself up for canonization."

"What?"

"Seriously," James said. Remus sat gaping at him. Finally James said, "Look, if I'm bladdered and I've got a girl like Lindi and she's half—no _mostly _naked, I'm betting I'm not giving up that easily. And I think I'm a pretty decent bloke. Honestly, you're practically a saint, mate. Stop fretting over it."

Remus hesitated to let the relief he was feeling settle in. Did he dare hope James was right? James did seem perfectly sincere.

But there was still that little problem of the werewolf and the fact that Lindi still didn't know. If James acted like a cad, it wasn't quite the same. When Remus reminded James of this not so minor detail, James looked more serious still.

"I've been wondering if you might have told her, though I figured you'd tell us if you had."

"I should have a long time ago," Remus said solemnly. He watched James for a sign of agreement, but James just looked thoughtful.

"I don't know—maybe—but, I don't think it was _wrong_ of you not to. It's a big decision."

"Yes, but I don't have a choice anymore. I have to tell her now. She—" Remus' heart skipped a beat as he remembered. "She said she loves me."

A grin stretched across James' face from ear to ear. It was contagious, but in addition to the curl pulling at Remus' lips, a lump was forming in his throat. Sharing all this with James and seeing his reaction made everything so much more real. Lindi loved him, at least for the time being. Remus was nearly overwhelmed with the emotion of it all, and so it was hard for him to get the words out.

"And I love her."


	52. The Secret Revealed

**Chapter 52 The Secret Revealed**

Remus breathed out slowly, looking a little shell-shocked. He could hardly believe he had actually said the words out loud. It was wonderful, finally admitting the feelings he'd had for ages, though he wished with all his heart that it could have been Lindi hearing them. Still, it was a great relief to finally share the fact that he loved her with someone.

It was a very profound moment for Remus.

But James' reaction was not exactly what Remus might have expected following such a momentous declaration. Of course, knowing James as he did, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise when James actually snorted with laughter. It might have been his way of diffusing the intensity of their conversation. After all, they were lads. They didn't make a habit of confessing true love.

However, James was not laughing at Remus' feelings. It was only the _proclamation_ of them that had him so highly amused.

"Blimey, Moony, you say that as if it were a news flash! Quick, call the _Daily Prophet_!" James cried. "Someone might have missed the fact that Remus and Lindi are in love!"

For the first time in what seemed ages, Remus actually laughed. For a brief shining moment, all his cares and worries were eclipsed. James could take the mickey all he wanted; after all, that was what James did, but under the circumstances, Remus was only embarrassed in a most pleasant way. There was a sort of affirmation in learning that his friends had already guessed how he and Lindi felt about each other, even before they'd admitted it to themselves.

Of course, when he remembered that he hadn't actually admitted it to Lindi, and more importantly _why _he hadn't, his glee waivered.

"So, you understand that I have to tell her the truth now?" he said.

James' grin faded to a small, bittersweet smile. "Yes." He nodded. "I suppose so."

While it probably should have caused Remus more anxiety to have this confirmed, it actually felt like a load lifted from his shoulders. Just hearing that it was the right thing to do, and the right time_,_ was an enormous relief.

It was still a dreadful prospect, but after deciding on a plan of action, and getting James' endorsement, Remus felt a sense of calm settle over him.

He would give her the book, Hairy Snout, Human Heart, the next day and let her have a few days to read it. The full moon was approaching and he and James both felt that waiting until after the transformation to tell her would be best. That would give her a whole month to get used to the idea, assuming she ever _could_, before having to face the full reality of it. James admitted how strange it had been for the Marauders the first full moon after they had figured it out, waiting, worrying, wondering…hearing the howls of agony in the distance…

Granted, there was far less agony now that the Marauders kept him company, but she wouldn't know about their part, and it was still horribly painful. If it had proved uncomfortable for his twelve year old friends, how much harder would it be for Lindi, a woman who loved him (or hopefully still would), to wait and wonder? As sensitive and soft hearted as she was…Yes, she needed time to prepare.

So he would wait until after the full moon to actually tell her. It would make for a difficult week, but he felt it was for the best.

___________________________________

It was the following day at lunch before Remus finally saw Lindi for the first time since his birthday. She and Leanna arrived at the Great Hall just as he and his friends did. Between his behavior on his birthday and the need to finally tell her his secret, he felt quite awkward and hoped it didn't show.

Lindi chose to ignore it, if it did, but once their friends had moved on to their respective tables, she put him on the spot.

"You know, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," she said candidly. "So, do you feel better today?"

Feeling his cheeks warm, he smiled guiltily. "I feel much better; thank you. I'm sorry I didn't see you yesterday. And I'm _really_ sorry for my behavior the other night." He added this last quietly, careful that only she could hear.

"Honestly, it's alright, Remus. _Is_ that why you were avoiding me?"

His face went from warm to hot and he wanted to deny that he'd avoided her at all, but he had to admit, "I might have been—_a little_, but I really was in very poor shape, for the most part."

A little smile danced on her lips. "Yes, Peter told me when I ran into him in the library last night. Luckily, _he_ agreed to help me with my Defense Against the Dark Arts, since _you_ were so violently indisposed."

"_Peter_ did?" he asked, a bit surprised since Peter was not at all sure of his DADA ability. Of course, that was probably because he always compared himself to his friends. Peter was competent enough in theory, but for some reason, in actual dueling situations, he really left something to be desired. Remus figured it was the lack of confidence. Then again, compared to Lindi, even Peter would have felt accomplished, so Remus could see him agreeing to help her.

"Yes. Didn't he tell you?"

"No, he didn't. Granted, James wouldn't shut up about the Quidditch match with Slytherin next weekend long enough for anyone else to say _anything_."

Lindi gave her eyes a little roll and smiled. "I can imagine. Well, Peter was a big help. I've almost managed _Locomotor Mortis_." She beamed, highly pleased with herself. "He could still _walk _when I hexed him, but he was very knock-kneed."

Remus chuckled. "Well done! I'm sorry _I_ couldn't help you, but I want to see it."

Remus regretted saying this almost at once. What if she wanted to go someplace alone and show him tonight? He didn't want to be alone with her.

Correction…he didn't think it was a good idea to be alone with her. There would most likely end up being kissing and he couldn't allow that anymore, not until she knew the truth. His conscience simply wouldn't permit it.

This wa_s_ going to be a very challenging week.

However, immediately following lunch, she was busy with Quidditch practice all afternoon and they both had to complete an Ancient Runes assignment that was due the next morning, so there was actually no time for any sort of _temptation_.

Unfortunately, lack of time also complicated his plan to give her the book. After thinking all afternoon about when and where to give it to her_,_ he was still unsure how to go about it as they sat in the library translating their runes.

Lindi managed two translations before he finished the first. He was highly distracted, worrying about how she would react when he gave her the book. Would she be suspicious of it? Would she figure it out right away? If she did, would she make a scene? Should he wait until they had more privacy?

It was driving him barmy. He really couldn't wait for her to know the truth.

Still, he was somewhat less worried about arousing her suspicions since learning that her cousin, Will, was going to start working with the Werewolf Capture Unit. This gave him a good excuse for giving her the book.

_So go on; do it. _

"I have something for you," he whispered, pulling the book from his bag.

"Oh," she said, looking at the title. "What's this for?"

"I thought you might like to read it, what with everything that's going on—Will going to work with the Werewolf Capture Unit and—everything," he said.

Lindi studied the book for a moment. "Hmm…Do I really want to know what's in this?"

"I think you need to know it."

She frowned, flipping the cover over. "Well, I guess it can't be any worse than what I saw with my own eyes."

Remus hoped his face was impassive. He was quite certain that she really needed to know what was in the book if there was going to be any chance of her accepting him. While she had shown she held no particular prejudices against werewolves during their game of Woodyashagga last autumn, he worried that witnessing Greyback's viciousness and the subsequent reports in the _Daily Prophet_ might have changed things. The author of Hairy Snout, Human Heart gave a much better impression of what a werewolf _could _be than the one Fenrir Greyback liked to present.

"No, it isn't at all as bad as that. Not all werewolves are like Greyback," he said, praying she would believe it.

"I certainly hope not."

___________________________________

The rest of the week went by surprisingly quickly. With Lindi's detention on Monday evening and Quidditch practice the following day, plus loads of homework for them both, there was really very little time to spend together outside the library. This made it easier to avoid being alone with her than he'd expected. Though he was still somewhat preoccupied with what he would say to her and how she might react, he did manage to get a fair amount of work done. Having made the decision to tell her, it was a little easier for him to set the worry aside, and being a Ravenclaw, Lindi's study habits were a very good example.

In addition, for the two evenings leading up to the full moon, Remus didn't have James and Sirius to distract him. Yet again, the two had managed to get themselves thrown into detention for hexing Severus Snape. They'd caught him following them again and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that they were tired of his skulking about.

After they'd returned from Professor McGonagall's office, Remus didn't think he'd ever seen Sirius so angry, and that was saying something.

The problem was, Severus had been more confrontational this week than ever. Remus felt sure it had something to do with Severus witnessing Lily joining the Marauders for Remus' birthday. He remembered the look Severus had given her that day. Even though Lily seemed to have severed her friendship with Severus weeks ago, seeing her with his arch enemies had clearly incensed him. It was almost enough to make Remus think that Severus's feelings for Lily were more than just platonic. Of course, Severus didn't seem to become unhinged by Lily dating Hal, so it must have been the idea of her, or _anyone_ he had been friends with, associating with the four Gryffindors, the people he apparently hated above all others.

At any rate, Severus obviously intended to vent his anger on the Marauders by annoying and trying to get them into trouble, even more than usual, and it was working.

They'd had several skirmishes over the past few days, and Professor McGonagall had already emptied the Gryffindor hourglass of over half its rubies. Had she not realized that Severus shared the blame, Remus had no doubt she would have emptied it completely and put them in detention for the entire week.

When the day of the transformation arrived, Remus was immensely relieved that his friends would be available to spend it with him. It might have been selfish of him, but he'd grown very dependent on them to keep the wolf entertained. Plus, he had enough to worry about trying to figure out how to explain his absence to Lindi, especially after she had already thought he was avoiding her only a few days before. As they left the Great Hall following dinner, he felt terribly guilty when she asked him if they were going to see each other that evening.

"I thought we might work on _Petrificus Totalus_," she said, smiling hopefully. "That was one of the hexes I was assigned on the O.W.L. last year. I think they'll mark me even lower this year if I still can't do it the second time round. Besides, I've barely seen you all week."

The way she looked at him through those coyly batting lashes made his heart skip a beat.

"Afraid you aren't going to be able to see him tonight either, Dellington," said Sirius, walking up with James and Peter.

"Why not?" she asked, a frown forming on her lovely face.

"Lads' night out," said Sirius.

"_Again_?" Lindi's face tightened. She looked at Remus as if asking him to change his plans, though she left the plea unspoken.

He would have given anything to be able to change them. He wished he could at least explain _why_ he couldn't.

_Soon_….

"Sorry Lindi, but it's been planned for ages," said James, quickly adding, "and we can't do it without him."

Lindi looked skeptical about that. "Let me guess; you won't tell me what _it_ is because _it's_ a secret, as usual," she said clearly annoyed.

"Good guess," said Sirius.

"Sorry, Lindi," Peter echoed James, showing much more sympathy than Sirius.

Remus stood quietly by, hating every moment of this. He was glad his friends were the ones making the excuses, because he simply couldn't stand the thought of lying to her one more time. Not that what they had said was technically a lie. Every full moon _had_ been planned since they had become Animagi.

Plus, Remus was stilllying by not telling her the truth, but knowing this would be the last time made it far more bearable.

Lindi turned to him, eyes pleading _choose me_. When he answered her with silence, not knowing what to say, her shoulders visibly sagged.

"Well, I guess we can work on it sometime," she said, unable to hide her irritation. "Try not to stay out too late. You look pretty tired already. Did you lot do something last night after we left the library?"

Remus was surprised she even asked, rather than storming off in anger. He was very relieved by that.

"They had detention," said Peter, nodding towards James and Sirius.

"All the more reason we need to have some fun tonight," said Sirius. His demeanor was quite dark in contrast to the idea of having 'fun.' Remus could tell he was in a mood for mischief.

That always made Remus nervous, but it could lead to a good deal of excitement as well. Remus just wished he'd be able to remember in the morning what they ended up doing tonight. He sometimes envied his friends' memories of their transformations, until he reminded himself that he really didn't want to share the wolf's memories from all those years prior to the Marauders.

"Let's go," Sirius added impatiently.

"Come on, Wormtail," said James. "We need to change. See you later, Lindi. We'll see you shortly, Moony."

Remus nodded, thankful for James' consideration in allowing him and Lindi a minute to themselves, though it only added to the awkwardness of abandoning her for the night.

"So, you didn't do anything last night, either?" she asked. The small talk felt a bit forced and Remus knew she was very disappointed in him.

"Nothing, really. I practiced Transfiguration," he said, wishing desperately that he could make things up to her. _Soon_…

"Well, that's better than serving detention with _them_," she said, jerking her head in the direction of his friends irritably. "What did they do this time?"

"Hexed Severus Snape."

"Not again." She shook her head at their apparent hopelessness. "Honestly, why can't they just ignore Severus?"

"He doesn't exactly make himself easy to ignore, does he?" Remus asked in defense of his friends. He couldn't seem to help himself, especially since he knew she was particularly peeved with them at the moment. He didn't want her to start really disliking them.

"I suppose not. So, what did _he_ do this time?"

"Nothing new. He was sneaking around trying to catch them at something again," Remus said.

"Catch them at _what_?"

"_Anything_. You know he's been trying to catch us at something to get us into trouble for ages," he said, shrugging.

"And did he?" she asked. "Catch them at something?"

"Not before _they_ caught _him_," said Remus. But Remus did not have time to discuss it further. He needed to get back to the room and drop his things so he'd be ready to go to the Shrieking Shack on time. He checked his watch.

"I need to go, Lindi," he said. "I'm sorry," he added at the look on her face. He hated being abrupt with her, as if lying wasn't bad enough. But _soon_ he would never have to again.

"Alright," she said, her voice small and unmistakably hurt. "I'll see you tomorrow."

___________________________________

Tomorrow dawned and he knew immediately that something was wrong, even before he managed to open his eyes.

Pain…excruciating… He hadn't come out of the transformation feeling this awful in ages.

This was far worse than the usual agony that followed the twisting, stretching, and contorting of bone and muscle. _That_ burning usually subsided into a dull throbbing ache shortly after the transformation was complete. But he felt as though his arms were on fire; breathing felt like daggers stabbing into his right side. This was the type of pain he had suffered all those years before the Marauders.

_The Marauders_…

He listened for them, but there was only silence. Where were they?

Then he noticed it—the heavy metallic taste…_blood_.

His heart started racing. Something was very wrong. He opened his eyes slowly, searching for his friends. _They should be here by now, shouldn't they?_

But he was alone.

_Where are they?_

Then he noticed something else. Every piece of old furniture in the room had been demolished. He hadn't done that since before the Marauders, either. And there was blood everywhere, and a few little tufts of hair, some still attached to shredded flesh, scattered about the floor.

A sickening panic started rising in his belly. Where were his friends? He was almost afraid to look at the destruction any more closely for fear of what he might find. The horrible image of a rat's tail or bit of ear flitted through his imagination.

_Oh, no_…Had he…_No_…He couldn't bear the thought. But where were they? Whose fur was scattered over the room? The blood…

He forced himself to ask the question he had always dreaded. Had the wolf gone insane and attacked his friends?

_No_…

Suddenly, mercifully, he heard the scuffling of feet, then the creak of a door. The wave of relief made him dizzy; his head started spinning as he tried to push himself up, but then he realized it wasn't the relief making his head spin. It was pain. Something was very wrong with his shoulder. His arm collapsed out from under him, letting him crash back to the floor with a thud. Nausea threatened to engulf him. The taste of blood in his mouth only made it worse.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to settle his stomach while he waited for his friends to get to him. He needed help to get to the bed.

But it was destroyed.

What had happened last night?

Footsteps approached with the swishing of robes and he heard a small gasp. He looked up at the faces entering the room. His stomach clenched at the sight.

_Oh, God…Something is really wrong… _And he heaved violently, vomiting across the floor.

"What on earth?" cried the school nurse as she rushed toward him.

Remus did not see Professor Dumbledore pull his wand and mend the demolished bed, but he felt soft cloth drape over his naked body and heard the calm voice say, "Let me help you get him to the bed, Poppy."

But the soothing tone of the Headmaster's voice did little to calm Remus' rising panic, which almost made him wretch again. If he had not been gasping for breath, he would have blurted out, "Where are my friends?" with little worry that their full moon excursions would be exposed.

After the nurse had made a cursory examination of Remus' injuries and noted the dislocation of his shoulder, Professor Dumbledore levitated Remus onto the bed, rather than trying to lift him. "You tend to Remus," he told Madam Pomfrey and then looked over at the mess.

"What's wrong?" Remus croaked, fighting the hysteria he was feeling. "What'd I do?"

"Be still, Remus," Madam Pomfrey insisted, pressing his uninjured shoulder to the bed as he tried to sit up.

"Listen to Madam Pomfrey, Remus," said Dumbledore, causing the sick to vanish in one wave of his wand. "Everything is under control and no one is hurt."

"No one is _hurt_?" shrieked the nurse, making Remus wince at the high pitch. "What do you call _this_?"

"I stand corrected, Poppy," said Dumbledore humbly, appraising Remus and frowning. "I meant to assure him that he hadn't harmed anyone _else_." Dumbledore looked down sympathetically over his half-moon glasses and gave Remus a small, but reassuring smile.

Remus' eyes began to burn; he was so relieved. He closed them, lying back weakly on the bed to let the nurse tend to his wounds. He still had no idea what was going on, but was so thankful he hadn't killed anyone. Plus, now that his fears were abating, he was becoming more aware of how badly he hurt. When Madam Pomfrey removed a small vial from her bag, he waited eagerly.

"This is only a mild pain potion," she said. "It's all I have for you right now. I can't give you a Sleeping Draught until I get a Blood-Replenishing Potion in you and I didn't think to bring one." She looked troubled. "You haven't needed it in over a year!"

"Shall I go retrieve one?" asked Professor Dumbledore as Remus gulped down the potion.

"No, I'll get it," she answered. "It isn't _urgent_, so long as I get this bleeding stopped." Thin rays of blue light shot from the end of her wand, touching the worst of his cuts, mainly on his forearms, but some on his legs, as well. He now knew where the tufts of hair and flesh had come from. "But he has lost a fair amount of blood. I want him to have it before I put him to sleep."

"If you are sure," said the Headmaster. "I'll stay with him while you go. He and I need to have a talk, anyway." Dumbledore looked at him rather gravely. "If you think you can?"

Remus nodded, though the movement still sent shock waves of agony down his arm. He groaned loudly.

Even with the mild pain potion, he thought he might faint when Madam Pomfrey pressed her wand delicately to his shoulder and muttered, "_Umerus Repono_."

The sickening snapping sound that followed was almost as bad as the sharp pain it caused, but at least now the shoulder was where it belonged.

"Well, that should be enough for now," Madam Pomfrey said surveying her patient grimly. "I'll go get the Blood-Replenishing Potion, so I can take care of the rest while you sleep." She studied Remus' face closely for a moment, and then pursed her lips, looking almost angry. "This has all caused a terrible setback. Those—"

"Thank you, Poppy," Professor Dumbledore interrupted as he came and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'll stay with him until you get back."

They both watched as the nurse disappeared through the doorway. Dumbledore turned to him, but said nothing as the sound of her footsteps retreated down the stairs and faded into the distance.

Remus waited anxiously. He knew the headmaster was going to tell him something important. He dreaded it, but wanted it over with. He was going to have a hard time focusing through the pain and couldn't help looking forward to the Sleeping Draught. He hadn't needed it this badly in ages.

But first…

"What's happened?" Remus asked, his voice extremely hoarse. "What've I done?"

"Why do you think you have done something?" Dumbledore answered lightly, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

Remus fought the urge to blurt out his fears and considered how best to respond. He probably shouldn't say, "Because my friends aren't here and you _are_," which would likely get them into trouble for being out of bounds, if they weren't already.

"Well, you don't usually come here, sir, so something _has_ happened, hasn't it?" Remus answered weakly.

The blue eyes blinked slowly. "Yes," Dumbledore said much more solemnly. "Something has happened." He studied Remus for another moment. "But first, is there anything you would like to tell _me_, Remus?"

Remus stared. What was going on? Had the Marauders already been found out? Was Professor Dumbledore giving him a chance to confess before he was accused? _What else could it be?_ But what if it was something else? Better to find _himself_ in more trouble if that was the case, than to reveal their secret for no reason….

"Nothing I can think of, Professor," he answered, finding it difficult to maintain contact with those piercing eyes, though he forced himself. He was a good liar after all.

"Then I must ask; did you know of the plan to lure Severus Snape here last night?"

It was Remus' turn to blink, but he did so in surprise. "I'm sorry, plan to _what_?"

"Lure Severus Snape here last night during your transformation…"

Remus' expression went from confusion to horror. What little color was left in his face drained away. Could there have been such a plan? Could it be Snape's blood all round and in his mouth? He felt the sickness rising in his throat.

But Dumbledore had assured him no one had been hurt…

A tiny, empathetic smile crossed the Headmasters' lips. "Apparently you did not," he said, satisfied of Remus' ignorance on the matter. "Your friends had assured me that you didn't, and I thought as much, but I needed to be sure."

Remus' mind was swimming; he couldn't understand what Professor Dumbledore was talking about and he almost wished he'd refused even the mild pain potion.

Almost…

He tried to sit up. He felt very vulnerable lying on the bed while they discussed something so obviously important, but he was too weak and his head began to spin. He fell back onto the bed, wishing Madam Pomfrey would get back with that Blood-Replenishing Potion so he could think clearly.

Even more, he wished Professor Dumbledore would just tell him what this was all about. "Please Professor," he said. "What is going on?"

The clear eyes looked rather weary as they gazed over the half-moon glasses. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Remus, but I'm afraid that the feud between your friends and Severus Snape finally went over the line last night. Apparently Mr. Snape wanted to know where you had gone and Sirius Black thought it a good idea to tell him, complete with instructions on how to negotiate the Whomping Willow."

Dumbledore's words were like a blow to the gut. Remus responded with stunned silence.

_Sirius?_ Could he have done such a thing? But Sirius was his friend. There had to be some sort of mistake.

"He didn't," Remus whispered, stricken.

"I'm afraid he did." The muscles at Dumbledore's jaw clenched. Then he continued evenly. "I must admit that I am surprised that Severus would fall into such an obvious trap. I would have expected him to do the opposite of anything Sirius Black suggested, knowing of the animosity between them." Dumbledore seemed to ponder the explanation for Snape's gullibility briefly, while Remus continued reeling. "Of course, Sirius is a clever boy. I probably should not be surprised that he would be able to manipulate even one as shrewd as Severus Snape. He may have been sorted into Gryffindor, but I have often suspected that the house of his family could have placed a claim upon him. Then again, Severus _can_ let his own anger get the best of him." Dumbledore paused, sighing wearily as he watched Remus' wounded expression. "I'm sorry you were caught in the middle of this, Remus."

"So Severus did it; he came here?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"But…" Remus struggled to understand. "You said no one was hurt."

"That is correct. As fortune would have it, Severus did not make it all the way here, thanks to James Potter. However—"

"James?"

"Yes, Sirius told him what he had done and James managed to catch up to Severus before he reached the end of the tunnel. He risked his own life running ahead and shutting the door so you could not follow them."

Dumbledore looked at him quizzically and Remus knew what he must be wondering. Why had Remus left the door to the tunnel open?

But the question remained unasked and unanswered, for Remus was far more interested in what had happened next.

"So does this mean that Severus _knows_?" he croaked hoarsely.

"I'm afraid so. My understanding is that you ran downstairs towards the tunnel. I imagine that you had smelled them or heard them scuffling. It would have been just after the transformation which probably saved them, since you were probably a bit disoriented when you first scented them. In any case, Severus spotted you just before James managed to close the door."

Remus tried to breathe normally, but the panic overtaking him felt like a noose tightening round his neck.

Severus knew his secret.

He knew because… It was almost too sickening to believe. "Are you _sure _Sirius told him?"

"Quite sure. You are shocked that Sirius would do such a thing?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Remus nodded, mistrusting his ability to speak without his voice breaking.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Yes, I must admit that at first, it surprised even me, and I am not easily shocked. Alas, I've seen too much of human nature. Still _your_ part did surprise me." A crease formed between Dumbledore's eyes.

"_My _part?" Remus asked numbly.

"The part you _would_ have played, if the plot had not been foiled." Dumbledore frowned more deeply. "I was surprised that Sirius would put you in that position, without your consent."

For the first time since the start of the tale, Remus felt something flicker within him that was not numbing shock. It was more like anger; not yet fully realized, but a small spark. How could Sirius have betrayed Remus' secret? How could he have used Remus like this? If this was true….

"Sirius admitted to doing this?" Remus asked quietly, unable to make himself accept it.

"More or less," said Dumbledore. "The truth came out as Sirius and Severus accused one another—quite aggressively."

Remus found it harder still to breathe.

"If it is any consolation," Dumbledore continued kindly, "after listening to him last night, I don't believe that it was Sirius' intention to put you at risk. I think it surprised even _him_ that Severus was so foolish. I am also convinced that the Sorting Hat was correct when it placed him in Gryffindor. Sirius is far too rash, to the point of recklessness, for a true Slytherin. He acts on his emotions and does not consider the consequences of his actions." He cast Remus a look of great sympathy. "Even those that could have grave repercussions for one of his closest friends."

Remus' eyes must have betrayed his rising fear. What were the repercussions going to be?

"Don't worry, Remus," Dumbledore quickly assured him. "Severus will not be bringing charges or reveal your secret."

But Remus could hardly believe that. "But he _hates _us. He probably can't wait to tell everyone. He probably already has!" Panic was evident in the rising pitch of his voice.

"Do you trust me, Remus?" Dumbledore asked calmly but firmly.

Remus' breathed in heavily, trying to stop his head spinning. It sent sharp pains through his chest. He vaguely thought he must have bruised or even broken some ribs, but found the possibility completely irrelevant. He stared into the patiently waiting face of the headmaster: the man who had permitted him to attend school; the man who had arranged to have his registry records 'lost.' This man had almost as much at stake if Remus' secret were found out as Remus did.

"Yes." Remus nodded weakly.

"Then don't worry."

"But how can you be sure he won't tell?"

"Because I am."

"But _how_?"

"That is between Severus and me," Dumbledore said, not unkindly, but leaving no doubt that the topic was closed.

It was difficult for Remus not to argue, but he knew he should not press the issue. "So, what is going to happen now?" he asked instead.

Just then, the door from the tunnel squeaked and the nurse's footsteps sounded once more on the creaking stairs.

"You are going to take your potions and go to sleep. Madam Pomfrey is going to tend your wounds and we will then transport you to the hospital wing where you will rest and recover. Then you will return to classes."

Remus wondered at the headmaster's response. How could he be so calm, as if nothing more than a normal transformation had transpired? Potions and rest in the hospital? That was Remus' _usual_ routine.

Then Remus thought about the other part of the routine. His friends would come and check on him, tell him about the night's adventures…

What would they tell him about last night?

That flicker of anger flared again. For the first time in nearly six years, he wasn't sure he wanted to see them. He was pretty sure he didn't want to see Sirius, just now. He didn't think he could handle it, feeling the way he did, or _would _when he awoke. He needed to be clear-headed, so he could understand why Sirius would do such a thing, or at least so he could insist Sirius explain it to him. At the moment, he couldn't imagine understanding any reason Sirius might give. They were supposed to be _friends_!

The flame of anger grew.

But he did not have the strength or will to think of it, so he turned his attention to James and Peter. What had their role been in this? James had apparently saved Severus, but had he known about it? Had he supported it and then got cold feet, or had he only found out in the nick of time.

_Sirius and James do everything together. _

But hadn't Dumbledore said something about James finding out after Sirius had sent Severus?

Before Remus could give it any more thought, Madam Pomfrey pushed open the door carrying a small red bottle which he recognized as the Blood-Replenishing Potion.

Soon enough, Remus would be waking in the hospital ward. He would be groggy and weak…unready to face his friends, especially Sirius.

He looked up into the intent face of the headmaster.

"I will make sure you are not disturbed until you are ready," Dumbledore said.

If Remus hadn't known exactly how Legilimency felt, he would have thought Dumbledore was using it on him. Clearly, the professor was every bit as astute as Remus had long believed.

Remus nodded, took the two potions and drifted off into tranquil oblivion.

For a while, at least…

_____________________________

_A/N: Um…*figures that wasn't exactly the revealing of the secret readers had in mind for this chapter* I know it was supposed to be Lindi who is told, but this had to be done, too! _

_Now, please keep in mind this story was written/planned well before book six, much less the final book which revealed the information that the Whomping Willow 'prank' came prior to SWM. . I'm not even going to go into my usual rant about how much I HATE that information and how it affects the dynamic of the Marauders, but…*stops self* *breathes deeply* Never mind. *points to __**Book 7 Disregarded **__warning* _


	53. Shattered Trust

**Chapter 53 Shattered Trust**

_A/N: Thanks go to MaraudersWolf for another great beta job and thank you to ron lover for providing a very helpful second beta read._

____________________________________

Dumbledore was true to his word, so when Remus awoke in the hospital wing the following day, he was alone. It took a minute for his head to clear enough to remember where he was, and he had no idea of the time, or that he'd slept more than twenty-four hours. He was still terribly sore and achy.

He carefully rolled over and glanced out the window. It was daylight, though very grey and blustery. Dark clouds were rolling in and the trees of the Forbidden Forest were being whipped into frenzy by the wind. A storm was brewing.

In the distance, a low rumble of thunder confirmed it, heralding the coming gale like the roll of a drum. As if joining the building chorus, a large raindrop slammed the window sill with a sharp splat, then another. Suddenly a torrent was being blown nearly horizontal into the side of the castle.

_What appropriate weather_, thought Remus. For a moment, he watched the rivulets of rain pour down the long narrow panes of the window; then he rolled back over and stared at the ceiling. The fog from the Sleeping Draught and pain potions was lifting and, much as he wished the rain could wash it all away, he remembered what had happened.

Severus Snape had discovered his secret. He _knew_. Of all people, Severus was among the last Remus would have chosen to find out. He figured only Darlene could have been any worse. If anyone else at Hogwarts might really wish Remus ill, it was Severus.

And he _knew_.

Regardless of Dumbledore's assurances, there were few things Remus could think of that would be more upsetting than this, but one came to mind. The _reason _that Severus knew…

Sirius had told him. _Sirius_, one of his closest friends.

The very thought of it made Remus nauseous_._

_Why? _

He closed his eyes tightly, wishing he could wake himself from this nightmare. He could barely believe that Sirius, of all people, would do such a thing. What could possibly have possessed him?

Over the next several hours, Remus would struggle, searching for the answer between bouts of dozing. Every time he awoke he wished something would be different, but each time, the claw marks, bites, and sense of utter desolation were still there.

Madam Pomfrey came to check on him soon after his first awakening, to inspect his injuries, change the dressings on the worst of them, and bring him food. He had no appetite, but nibbled a piece of crumpet to satisfy her. She offered him another Sleeping Draught or more potent pain potion, but he kindly refused. He probably could have used it, but it would have knocked him out completely and he needed to think. He wanted to be prepared when he saw Sirius.

Remus knew he would have to return to the dormitory soon, even if he wasn't really ready, lest his absence become obvious. The thought of Lindi looking for him made him sigh with frustration. He had promised her he'd see her and help her with her Defense. She would have expected him far sooner than he would be able to make it now.

Under normal circumstances, or at least since the Marauders, he would have been out of hospital far sooner than this. He wondered if that fact would be lost on Sirius. Would he even wonder how much physical pain this little _prank_ had caused Remus?

_Maybe Dumbledore should have allowed Sirius in to see you after all_, he thought bitterly.

Remus wondered what Sirius would say to him when he finally got back to the dormitory. It was amazing to him that he actually dreaded going back. He never would have believed he could wish to stay away from his friends like this. He felt so isolated, and not just physically. In one fell swoop, Sirius had changed the entire dynamic of their friendship. He had _used _Remus.

Thoughtlessly, selfishly, _cruelly_….

Friends weren't supposed to do that. Friends were supposed to _respect_ each other. But where was the respect in the way Sirius had used Remus?

_Like some kind of—pet_… _A rabid dog to sic on his enemies_…

Remus' jaw clenched angrily. He had never been this furious with one of his friends.

But he was also sick with heartache. The Marauders had changed his life. He loved them like brothers, and had believed they felt the same way for him. All of them…

He turned and gazed out the window at the raging gale again. Rain was still streaming down the window, _like tears_.

How had it come to this? Sirius had always been such a good, fierce friend. Remus had never felt that Sirius looked down on him for being a werewolf. Sirius had always been rather protective of Remus, and he loved their full moon excursions, probably more than any of them did. He seemed to truly like having a friend who happened to be a werewolf.

Had it just been for entertainment value? Did he care nothing for Remus as a human being?

_He does…he must_, Remus assured himself. They'd been friends too long for Remus not to have known if it were all a lie. Sirius wasn't _that_ good an actor.

Memories of mornings after the full moon came rushing back. One particularly painful awakening in his second year had found his three friends hotly wondering why nothing was being done to help him. Madam Pomfrey had threatened to make Sirius leave if he couldn't quiet himself. Sirius had been on the verge of using some choice words. The memory brought a small smile to Remus' face.

Remus was sure Sirius hadn't been acting, and the very real concern had led the three of them into becoming Animagi in order to help Remus. Sirius had tricked his uncle and cousin into getting them books. Over _three years_ they had worked on it; risked so much…For Remus….

Of course, Sirius loved a challenge and once they'd started, his pride wouldn't have allowed him to give up even if he _hadn't_ cared if it would help Remus.

_But he _had _cared_._ That's why they started it in the first place_, Remus insisted. He could not make himself believe otherwise. It was far too painful.

But then _why_? Had something changed?

He thought back over the last several months. Had anything been different between them?

There _had_ been a few more disagreements between them. For the most part, they had been over Lindi—more specifically, over Sirius' concern with the way she was treating Remus, or that she would _betray_ him.

A bitter laugh escaped him_. How ironic_! All Sirius' warnings to be careful of Lindi, and it was Sirius _himself _who betrayed the secret.

_But WHY? _Remus nearly shouted out loud.

Professor Dumbledore's words replayed in his memory_. "Sirius is far too rash, to the point of recklessness… He acts on his emotions and does not consider the consequences of his actions."_

Yes, that was Sirius—reckless, rash—but he wasn't _stupid_! And he was very protective of his friends_. All for one and one for all…Moony's pack_…_Gryffindore to the core_…_United we stand_...

Sirius had just given him that gift, days before. Had he meant the words or had they all been just snappy lines to decorate a Firewhiskey snifter?

_No…_

_Then why? How could Sirius have been so… _Remus didn't have Sirius had done went beyond reckless; it was positively dangerous—one might even say depraved. _Severus could have been killed!_—and in a very horrible fashion. Or he could have been bitten—his life forever changed, and not for the better.

And Sirius had done it all knowingly, willingly. Did Sirius truly hate Severus that much? Remus couldn't even wrap his mind around that sort of hatred. He knew Sirius had a rather dark side, could be quite cold and even cruel, but to do this?

And what about Remus?

"_I don't believe that it was Sirius' intention to put you at risk. I think it surprised even _him _that Severus was so foolish." _Dumbledore's words offered some small comfort.

Apparently Dumbledore believed Sirius had not actually intended to harm Severus. Remus really wanted to believe that was the case, even if it didn't change the fact that Sirius had risked it at all—or the fact that he had knowingly risked exposing Remus' secret.

But he had. It was just lucky for Remus that he hadn't been expelled, or worse, sent to Azkaban for _murder_.

Lightning flashed brilliantly outside the window, followed quickly by a pane rattling crack of thunder, dramatically underscoring the enormity of what might have been. Nausea threatened to overtake him. He breathed in deeply and slowly, trying not to think for a minute. He drew on his knowledge of Occlumency to calm himself, but only long enough to settle his stomach. He needed to think, so he could understand.

It just didn't make sense. Sirius had been the one adamant about keeping the secret from everyone, including Lindi—_especially_ Lindi—even as late as the night of Remus' birthday.

"_Don't do anything I wouldn't do?" _Sirius had said as he, James, and Peter left Remus alone with her.

While Lindi had taken it as mere innuendo, Remus had known what Sirius really meant. Sirius had been warning Remus not to let alcohol-induced carelessness, or the even more dangerous _heat of the moment,_ trick him into telling Lindi the truth. Remus might have been befuddled with the Firewhiskey, but it had been obvious what Sirius had meant. He had been completely serious about not doing anything _he_ wouldn't do, so there was no way it had been any sort of sexual innuendo. Sirius would have done _that _in a heartbeat.

The hungry look that had been on Sirius' face as he blatantly ogled Lindi's cleavage in the skimpy costume that night had made _that_ all too clear. Granted, Sirius had been nearly as intoxicated as Remus, but it hadn't been the first time Remus had noticed him looking at her. The way he would watch her bum as she walked away in her Quidditch tights… Even if it wasn't nearly as blatant as the ogling on his birthday, Remus still noticed.

_That's only normal,_ Remus reminded himself._ Loads of blokes look at her that way_. _Sometimes Peter looks like he's actually going to start salivating._

It was to be expected when dating a girl that looked like Lindi.

Besides, Sirius also found her to be…_aggravating_. The way he had jumped to the worst conclusions about her the night they had seen her with Daniels on the Marauders' Map, before they had learned the two were simply dancing… Or when Lindi had been angry with Remus during detention because of that _incident_ between him and Celia, and refused to speak to him…

Both times, Sirius had been more upset with Lindi than Remus, though in a very different way. _A bit strange…Why did he take those things so personally?_

Sirius and Lindi hadn't really gotten along since she had lost him the bet. _Could that have upset him more than anyone had thought_?

Remus shook his head to clear it of the crazy thoughts forming there. _Stop it! Things are bad enough without getting paranoid._

_Stop thinking about Sirius before you go barmy. Think about Lindi_.

But that didn't make him feel very much better. Things had been so awkward before the full moon; would she be wondering what was going on and where he was?

_Of course she is, you idiot! _

He wondered if she had sought out his friends to ask about him. What would they have told her?

Whatever it was, it would have been more lies. _Unless Sirius decided to take it upon himself to tell her and mess that up for you, too!_ His teeth ground together as his jaw clenched furiously. The thought of her finding out from anyone but himself was awful.

_Poor Lindi_…She deserved so much better than all this. He fully intended to make it up to her and to tell her everything, but now he had this added complication weighing on him.

_As if telling her wasn't going to be hard enough!_ he thought, anger towards Sirius smoldering ever hotter.

He would have almost thought Sirius was trying to keep the lies between them. But if he was so worried about her learning the truth, why had he told Severus?

_Severus_… Remus groaned. How was he ever going to face Severus again?

All this emotional turmoil made him sicker to his stomach than he already was from all the pain, blood, and potions. Just now, the thought of another very potent Sleeping Draught was tempting, but that would only be delaying the inevitable. He couldn't sleep away all these problems.

He really needed to get out of here and face them, set things straight once and for all. He'd have to deal with Severus when the time came, but now he wanted to get himself together and find Lindi before she was so upset she would never speak to him again.

Unfortunately, he needed to talk to Sirius first. He was far too angry to focus clearly on anything else until he had.

____________________________________

Madam Pomfrey released him from hospital later that evening, as soon as she was convinced the bite wounds on his forearm would not start bleeding again. If only werewolf bites would heal as well as most wounds, he could have been out hours ago.

As Remus laced his shoes, Professor Dumbledore walked over and stood next to the bed.

"How are you feeling, Remus?" he asked.

"Fine, thank you, Sir," Remus answered automatically.

From the look on the headmaster's face, he knew better, but left Remus with his dignity and refrained form pressing the point.

"I have been in contact with your parents. I felt they should know what has happened. Your mother wanted to come, but I assured her you were in no danger," said Professor Dumbledore. "I hope you don't mind." The glint in his eye indicated he was sure Remus would not have wanted it any other way.

Remus was immeasurably thankful. Much as he loved his mum, the last thing he wanted right now was her hovering over him as if he was an injured toddler, and she would if he let her. She was probably more panicked than Remus himself had been upon learning his secret had been revealed.

"Not at all, Sir," Remus said, managing a small embarrassed smile. "Thank you for telling them I'm alright."

"I was happy to be able to do it."

Remus knew more was forthcoming when Dumbledore sat down on the edge of the bed, rather than wishing him good evening. He couldn't help feeling a bit anxious.

"You should know that there is some speculation going around the school about what has happened," said Dumbledore.

Remus visibly tensed, feeling his anxiety turn to panic yet again.

"Do not worry," Dumbledore said earnestly. "Your secret remains safe. Severus Snape has held his silence, and will continue to do so, as I said before."

Remus relaxed a bit and lowered himself onto the bed weakly, having gone a bit wobbly with the panic.

"Then what sort of speculation is going round?" he asked, still concerned.

"Quite a wide variety, from what I gather," he said, quite jovially. "It would seem that a werewolf on school grounds is the only scenario _not _being discussed. I'm afraid our students are not keeping track of the lunar cycle as closely as Professor Galileo might wish." Dumbledore smiled, apparently amused by the rumors. "The only thing known for certain is that there was another incident between Sirius Black and Severus Snape, which would not be of much interest if not for the fact that Sirius Black and _James Potter_ have barely been on speaking terms since."

"They have?" Remus asked, surprised. He could not remember the last time Sirius and James had even seriously argued, much less fallen out enough that the rest of the school realized it.

Dumbledore nodded. "James did not hide his disapproval of Sirius' actions at all when they were in my office. He was very concerned that you would be in trouble. I would not expect him to get over that right away."

Remus felt a huge surge of gratitude towards James. He suddenly felt more secure than he had since learning what Sirius had done, and the possibility of losing his friends didn't seem quite as likely.

"James is a good friend," he said.

"Yes. I can see that." Dumbledore smiled kindly.

Starting to feel emotionally vulnerable, Remus refocused the conversation. "If they aren't suspecting a werewolf, what _are_ people saying?"

"I believe the most widely accepted view is that the four of you lured Severus into the Forbidden Forest and some fearsome beast attacked him. According to my source," Dumbledore's eyes sparkled, but he did not reveal the source. "All sort of creatures have been discussed, from Giants and Chimaeras to even a Nundu. It is actually proving helpful. I don't believe I will have to worry about students sneaking out of the castle for quite some time, and in light of current events, that is a load off my mind." The clear blue eyes clouded and he looked less amused. No doubt he was thinking of the rash of attacks and disappearances being attributed to that group, the Death Eaters. He sighed and then went on. "While the grounds of Hogwarts are as safe as can possibly be, the castle is considerably safer still. And there _are_ dangers in the Forbidden Forest, you know. Hence the fact that it is _Forbidden_."

Dumbledore gave him a look that said he knew Remus did know. Remus tried to look innocent, but the headmaster only smiled. "Now, where was I…oh yes, they know that James saved Severus and believe Sirius is upset about it, because you were injured instead. I don't know any other specifics, but I'm sure you will hear them soon enough. Unfortunately, I'm forced to give you detention along with the others, for being out of bounds. You understand I'm sure; otherwise, I don't think we could stop the speculation, which could prove dangerous."

"I understand."

Strangely, the only thing that really bothered Remus about being given detention was the possibility that he would have to serve it in close proximity to Sirius.

Of course, he would be confronting Sirius long before serving the detention together.

____________________________________

When Remus arrived at the Gryffindor dormitory a short while later, he wasn't sure his friends were even in their room. It was possible that they were still in the Great Hall finishing dinner, though it was unlikely at this hour. Still, when he listened at the door, no words were being exchanged; no questions on homework from Peter; no condescending replies of, "Do you mean you still haven't sussed that load of tosh?" from Sirius.

The tension in the room was palpable when Remus entered and found that they were, in fact, inside. All three looked up, anxious and waiting for him to do something, perhaps erupt, from the look on Peter's face. Peter's mouth dropped wide open when Remus pulled his wand from his robes.

Had Remus not been so livid, he might have laughed. Peter clearly thought Remus was going to start hexing Sirius. The thought was terribly appealing, but Remus turned, closed the door behind him, waved the wand and muttered an Imperturbable charm.

Then he turned back around and looked straight at Sirius. For a moment he simply stared, giving Sirius the opportunity to say something first. Knowing it was not in Sirius' nature to admit if he was wrong, much less apologize, Remus didn't expect much, but he still wanted to give Sirius the chance.

For his part, Sirius eyed the wand still in Remus' hand, but his face was impassive. Remus couldn't help wondering if Sirius would just sit there and let himself be hexed, knowing he deserved it. The temptation to find out was strong, but the desire to know why Sirius had betrayed him was even stronger at the moment. He slipped the wand into his robes.

"Well?" he asked.

Sirius shot a glance towards James. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw James' head jerk meaningfully in his direction. Preparing himself for something apparently unpleasant, Sirius took a slow breath and looked back at Remus.

"Listen, Moony," Sirius said. "I—" He braced himself before going on. "I'm sorry you could have been in trouble, but Snivellus was going on about seeing you leaving the castle with Madam Pomfrey and that he was going to get to the bottom of things once and for all …saying he was going to tell everyone…And he would have done—and you know it."

Remus continued to stare, trying to process what he was hearing. Sirius was making excuses, saying he had done it all in a misguided attempt to protect Remus. If what he said was true, Snape had threatened Remus and not simply irritated Sirius. While it made the betrayal somewhat less vile, it didn't change the fact that Sirius had been completely out of line—and reckless.

"So you helped him along, helped him get to the bottom of it?" Remus asked, his calm voice belying the anger he still felt. When Sirius didn't respond, Remus continued, his voice growing angrier with each sentence. "Snape has been suspicious of me for ages. He has always tried to get us into trouble—but he's never had any proof of anything and _still _wouldn't if you hadn't told him exactly where to look! And much as he annoys you, you've never resorted to attempted _murder_, Sirius. Why? Why would you do this?"

"Look, nothing happened," said Sirius, a slight sting in his voice. "Snivellus is fine and he isn't going to say anything. Dumbledore must have something on him. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but he had it coming. Next time maybe he'll keep his big greasy konk out of our business. Now can we let it go?"

Every muscle in Remus' body tensed. "Let it go? Just like that?" he asked. "Do you even care what _might_ have happened? Are you at all sorry that Severus might have _died_? Do you realize what a horrible position you put _me_ in? I thought we were friends, Sirius!"

"We _are_ friends," Sirius drawled a little too dismissively, as though Remus was being overly dramatic.

The tone made Remus more furious. "You have a funny way of showing it—treating me more like a rabid attack dog! I'm not something to sic on people who annoy you! I know we've joked about things like having me eat Professor McGonagall before, but I never dreamed you'd really try it!"

Sirius gave a little roll of his eyes. "Come on, Moony."

Remus stared at him. How dare he roll his eyes, as if Remus were making a bigger issue of this than it really was? It was a huge issue! And Sirius had not sufficiently apologized. Actually, he had barely apologized at all, spending most of his time blaming Severus Snape.

"I mean it, Sirius!"

Sirius sighed, apparently irritated that Remus would not _let it go_. After a few moments thought, during which Remus noted James and Peter's uncomfortable silence, Sirius said lightly, "Fine, I promise I will never sic you on Professor McGonagall or any other actual _people_, but this is Snivellus we're talking about."

A tiny snort escaped Peter, but the look Remus shot him apparently quashed any humor he might have found in Sirius' questionably witty reply. Peter looked down, abashed.

Remus turned his attention back to Sirius. "How dare you make light of this? It isn't funny! You could have killed him! _I_ could have! I know you hate him, but did you once consider what might have happened to _me_? Or doesn't that matter, because _I'm_ not a real person either!"

"Come on, Remus." But it wasn't Sirius arguing this time. It was James, finally breaking his silence. "You know we all know you're a _real _person."

"I'd ask you to stay out of this, James," Remus said in a shaking voice. "But if it hadn't been for you…if you hadn't…" He put his hands over his face. Like the rest of his body, they were trembling with rage. He couldn't remember ever being this angry.

Not even when he had learned the true circumstances of his bite… Finding out that he'd been the victim of a deliberate attack carried out by a sadistic and depraved monster, rather than of the unfortunate action of a helpless out-of-his mind werewolf, as Remus had always thought, had been a bitter pill for Remus to swallow. Learning how Greyback had used Remus to get back at Remus' father, simply because his father had said things Greyback didn't like, had been terrible. Remus' life had been forever altered over mere words.

Now, Sirius had used Remus to get back at Severus. Granted, Severus' offence had been a bit more than just words, but threatening Remus with exposure was still not grounds for attempted murder. Besides, unlike Greyback, Sirius was supposed to be Remus' friend! Friends didn't _use_ each other, regardless of why.

He lowered his hands from his eyes and glared at Sirius. "I can not believe you used me this way."

For the first time since Remus had entered the room, Sirius looked as if he might have become genuinely uncomfortable. Was he beginning to at least consider Remus' feelings? He looked away, but said in a rather defiant tone, "Well, he was asking for it!"

Remus closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to stop himself from flying into a complete rage. Sirius simply could not admit he was wrong.

Taking a very slow and deep breath, Remus replied, "Really? He was asking to be _killed_, ripped to shreds by a crazed blood-thirsty beast? Or maybe he was just begging to be bitten and infected with an incurable _curse _thatwould forever alter his life!"

Sirius continued to look out the window and said nothing. James and Peter remained silent as well, and only James would look Remus in the eye. James had definitely earned the right when he'd risked his own life to stop Remus from attacking Severus. One day, Remus would thank him, though he'd never be able to repay the debt.

But right now, he was dealing with Sirius.

"Again, Sirius, I thought we were friends! You should know me well enough by now to know I would never wish my curse on anyone, not even my worst enemy—or _yours_." He swallowed and took another deep calming breath while Sirius continued to stare out the window. Why couldn't Sirius just say he was sorry, _and mean it_? Didn't he understand?

"Nothing to say, Sirius?" Remus taunted. Perhaps if he made Sirius uncomfortable—or angry—enough he would finally say what he really felt. "Do you have any idea what it is like for me—and people like me? Have you ever given it a moment's passing thought? Knowing what most people think about me, how they feel when they pass me in the street—or _would _if they knew what I was. _Fear _and _revulsion_…that I'm a dangerous monster! And the worst part is, I know they're right!"

"You are not—" Peter finally spoke.

"Yes I am, Peter!" Remus interrupted. "At least once a month, I am a truly horrific beast. I have lived with it since I was four and a half years old. Every month for almost thirteen years I have tried to stop the transformation from occurring—but I can't." He shook his head sadly. "The worst part is knowing what I'm capable of and having absolutely no control over it. Can you even imagine what it is like to know you would actually kill someone? Do you have any idea what it feels like to wake up with the taste of blood in your mouth and praying desperately that it is your own?"

No one answered. Remus looked around the room at his three friends. Even James looked down and Remus had not felt so very alone since he'd come to Hogwarts.

"Well, that's how I felt yesterday morning. I was sure I had…I was scared to death that I'd—" Remus stopped for a second to compose himself. "That I'd killed one of you." His voice wavered on the last.

"But you didn't," James said quietly, trying to console his friend.

"But I could have," Remus countered. "And I wouldn't even have remembered doing it."

"So it wouldn't have been your fault, even if you had," said Peter.

"Yes it would have!" Remus cried. "I'm the one who lets you stay with me. I'm the one who lets you take me out! I'm the one who trusts you to keep me from doing exactly what _he_ nearly had me do!" He jabbed his finger at Sirius, who had finally turned back around to face him. "Damn you, Sirius! You almost made me into the monster I've been fighting all my life!" Remus' face was flush with anger. His hands were clenched into trembling fists.

For his part, Sirius actually looked speechless and even a little ashamed. _Good! He should be! He should be on his knees begging for forgiveness!_ Of course, Remus knew better than to ever expect anything of the sort. But he would settle for a genuinely contrite apology and promise to never do anything so stupid again.

However, Remus didn't know if he would ever be able to trust it. This betrayal might well be too deep.

"Do you have any idea the trust I have placed in you? I have not only trusted you with my life, but with my self respect," Remus said, his voice now deceptively calm. Sirius looked slightly confused at this last statement, so Remus explained.

"In all these years, I have never killed or bitten anyone. That fact allows me to sleep at night. It allows me to face myself in the mirror—and not see a total monster! It allows me to look people in the eye when I meet them in the corridors." The image of Lindi's smiling face flashed through his mind. He felt his eyes burn. "It allows me to _delude_ myself into thinking that I might have a normal life." He looked very hard at Sirius. "You almost took that away from me—on a whim! _You,_ one of the few people I have ever trusted in my life. I have trusted you to prevent me harming anyone, including myself by keeping the wolf entertained. You have betrayed that trust. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again."

The silence was broken only by the sound of Remus' robes as he turned and walked out of the door. He had to get away before he lost control of his emotions. He pretended not to hear Lily when she called to him across the common room and, after roaming the halls, he found himself at the secret passage behind the mirror on the fourth floor. When he entered, he lit a torch and noticed that all remnants of the shattered glass and Firewhiskey from his birthday had been removed. He sat on the sofa and stared at the single torch flickering against the stone wall, feeling quite numb. He must have been too tired and overwhelmed to stay so angry. All track of time was lost, and he didn't know how late it was when he heard the mirror open and turned to see James quietly enter.

"I thought you might like to have this when you decide to come back to the tower," James said, setting the Invisibility Cloak on the sofa beside Remus. "It's nearly curfew, and Peeves has been about, and Filch is on another rampage."

"Thank you," Remus answered dully. He knew James probably wanted to talk things over, but he was so weary. He just wanted to be alone.

"No problem." James stood there for a moment, apparently trying to figure out what to say, but in the end, he only said, "I'll see you later."

"Good night." Remus felt a bit guilty as James walked slowly towards the door, but he let him go without saying anything more.

James stopped with his hand on the mirror frame and without turning around, he said quietly, "He knows he shouldn't have told Snape. He regrets it, if it makes any difference."

"Did he tell you that?"

James turned and frowned. "No," he admitted begrudgingly. "But I can tell he does. I know him."

Remus smirked bitterly. "Yes, I thought I did, too."

The sad look on James' face as he turned back and started to push open the door made Remus feel even guiltier. He knew James hated what was happening to their friendship every bit as much as Remus did. He felt doubly bad since James had been the one who had saved him.

Suddenly, it occurred to Remus that James had also saved Sirius. What would have happened to Sirius if he'd actually been responsible for Snape's death or infection? Remus wanted to ask James why he had gone after Severus; who had he been trying to save? But at the same time, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. _Do you really want him to have to choose between Sirius and you_?

He glanced at the Invisibility Cloak that James had brought to him. It was the second time in the past couple of weeks he'd thought to help Remus out like this. Regardless of his friendship with Sirius, James obviously cared about Remus, too.

"Thank you, James," Remus said as the mirror swung open. "You saved us all."

Looking mildly embarrassed, James smiled and in an uncommon display of humility, tried to shrug the gratitude off. "What are friends for?"

"I mean it," Remus said in earnest.

"So do I."

____________________________________

The room was dark when Remus crept in some time later. He was exhausted, not having fully recovered from the full moon, but, since he didn't want to see Sirius again that night, he had waited to return until the others would likely be in bed.

Then, they had already left for breakfast when he finally rolled out of bed the next morning. He was glad for it and didn't take it personally, from Peter and James, at least. Sirius, on the other hand, had probably been eager to leave Remus in the room. He wouldn't want another confrontation any more than Remus did.

However, after noting the way the other students watched them when Remus rushed into the Great Hall to grab a bite, it occurred to him that the discord between the Marauders was quite a source of interest. Many eyes followed him as he bypassed Sirius to take the seat next to James, and there was much whispering. As long as this rift between him and Sirius continued, there would be questions, and with them, the danger that someone might come across uncomfortable answers.

Even so, he couldn't just pretend nothing had happened!

He was spared the need to pretend for the moment, when Lindi walked up from behind.

"Hello, Remus," she said, just as he forced a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. He noticed the flat tone in her voice. After a few days apart, he would have hoped she would sound more excited to see him, but of course, all things considered, he couldn't blame her.

He stood up quickly, wiping his mouth. "Hello, Lindi." He smiled but wondered if he was acting as guilty as he felt. After all this time, the urge to blurt out a confession and beg forgiveness was nearly overwhelming, but this was neither the time nor the place.

"Are you alright?" she asked, noticing the healing cut on the side of his face.

At least she still cared enough to ask.

"Yes," he said. "I'm fine."

She looked around him at his full bowl of porridge. "You're still eating. Do you want me to wait for you, and we can walk to class together?"

That she had asked him was not a good sign. _Of course_ he wanted her to wait for him, but it seemed her insecurity was resurfacing. "Yes," he assured her. "I'll only be a minute. I'm not very hungry. Would you like to sit down?"

"No, I'll just go get my things." She went back to her table and gathered her books, then waited for him by the door.

Once he'd finished, he joined her. With a forced and rather stiff smile, she asked him if his face hurt much.

"No, the pain potions Madam Pomfrey gave me helped," he answered.

"That's good," she muttered distractedly. After a moment she seemed to think of something to add to their stilted conversation. "I can't believe you were attacked by a Chimaera."

Remus blinked, but quickly remembered that this was one of the rumors going about, though Lindi acted quite convinced that it was true. He wondered if his friends might have chosen this as their cover story.

"Who told you that?" he asked cautiously.

"Peter," she confirmed his suspicion. "I knew there were dangerous things in the Forbidden Forest, but if I'd known they were that dangerous, I don't think I would have gone in. I can't believe there are actually Chimaeras in there."

Remus hated to let Lindi believe the lie. Unfortunately, with people turning to listen as they walked by, he didn't really have much of a choice. "Neither can I," he said as a compromise.

"You lot really need to be more careful on your _lads'_ nights out," she said.

Something in the way she said it and the way she looked at him struck him as odd, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Yes, we do," he agreed. He certainly would be more careful from now on, since he knew he couldn't trust Sirius to keep him out of trouble. He felt the bitterness bubbling up.

He heard Lindi say something, but missed the words since he was deep in his own thoughts. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked. He didn't like the look on her face. He'd hurt her feelings.

"I asked you how James managed to stop it."

"Stop what?"

Now she looked hurt _and_ a little irritated. "The _Chimaera_."

"Oh, right…I don't know," he answered. "I was unconscious at the time."

"Hasn't he told you about it?"

"I only know he locked it in an old building until everyone got away."

"Really?"

He nodded, but his mind was wandering. Try as she might, Lindi couldn't seem to keep him engaged in the conversation. All the things Remus wanted and _needed_ to say were blocking his ability to carry on any sort of normal conversation, especially considering it was a conversation based on lies. It was painfully uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to him. "Remus, what is going on?" she asked, shattering the awkward silence. "What were you doing out there?"

She looked at him intently, needing the truth, but he still couldn't tell her just yet. Much as he hated doing it, he said, "It's a long story, Lindi. I'll tell you about it later, when we have more time, alright? We have to get to class now." She hesitated for a moment before nodding and they continued down the hall in silence.

When they reached the end of the corridor where they would part to go to their respective classes, he told her he'd see her later, but she didn't say anything. He didn't like the way she was looking at him.

Finally, she blurted out, "Severus said he saw you leaving the castle—with a woman."

At first, Remus was so startled that he didn't quite follow what she was getting at. He worried about what else Severus might have told her, but she didn't say or ask anything more. She just waited for him to explain about leaving the castle with Madam Pomfrey….But suddenly Remus realized what she was asking. She hadn't said _with Madam Pomfrey_, but with a _woman_. Lindi didn't know it was the school nurse. Severus hadn't told her who the woman was. It was all clear now.

Thanks to Severus, Lindi thought he had been with another woman.

_Crap!_ "Lindi, I—she—it isn't what you think."

"Then what is it?" she asked, her eyes gleaming and desperate. "What have you been doing? Why have you been avoiding me since—since your birthday?"

He thought she was going to start crying. He felt a bit like crying, himself. He wasn't sure if he could endure much more. He was so tired—tired from the full moon, being angry with Sirius, all the lies and hiding.

Soon he would put the lies behind them, but now….

"Please, Lindi... I can't talk about it now. We have to get to class." He looked around at all the students passing them, heading into the nearby classrooms. To his horror, Severus Snape was standing in the nearest doorway, sneering. Things kept getting worse and worse.

Face going hot, Remus looked back at Lindi and said in an urgent whisper. "I'll explain everything later, when we have some time to be alone."

"When?" she asked. "You keep saying later, but there's always something…"

"I know. I'm sorry. But we'll talk tonight, after dinner. I have some time before my detention." He saw the look on her face and leant down close to look her squarely in the eyes. "I _promise_."

She stared into his eyes, trying to read the truth, then nodded, but still looked rather miserable when she turned and started down the corridor.

Severus Snape, on the other hand, looked cruelly delighted when Remus passed by him on the way to his own classroom. "Trouble in paradise, _Mooon—_y?" he said.

"Good morning, Severus," Remus answered, praying Snape would not start anything.

"No actually, it isn't. You and the other three—_monsters—_are still here," he snarled.

Remus glanced around to see if anyone was listening. Fortunately they were all busy unloading book bags or talking amongst themselves. He looked Snape in the eye and said in earnest, "Thank you for not telling anyone about—about _me_. And I'm sorry for what almost happened. I didn't know what Sirius was going to do. I never would have—"

"Save your breath for someone gullible enough to believe you," Snape hissed. He looked down the hallway where Lindi was just turning the corner. "Someone like Lindi, perhaps?"

Snape's lip curled in a loathsome sneer when Remus face froze. "Does she know what kind of _man_ her precious boyfriend is?"

Glee practically glowed in Snape's face when he got no response. "So, she doesn't know, does she?"

Remus could not deny it. He stood there, feeling humiliated.

As though he could read Remus' mind, Severus proceeded to gloat. "Well, well, well, the brave Gryffindor lies to his girlfriend, too. And she thinks you are so _special_. If she only knew just how _special_ you really are… Maybe she should read _this_." He unexpectedly slapped a rolled copy of the Daily Prophet against Remus' chest. "And she thinks you care about her." Remus absently reached up to take the paper as Snape gave a degrading snort. "But _your_ kind doesn't care what happens to anyone else, do they?"

Remus didn't try to argue. He knew it wouldn't do any good. Severus wasn't interested in Remus' side of anything. James had told him that Severus thought they'd all planned the attack on him together, and no amount of arguing would change his mind. He hated them too much to trust anything any of them said.

"I _am_ sorry," Remus said quietly and turned, walked to the next room and joined his class.

By the time the dismissal bell rang, he could hardly remember what class he'd just had, much less what the lesson was about. He was completely distracted. Much of his class time had been spent staring numbly at the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ Snape had thrust upon him.

Fortunately, his next period was an open one and he made his way back to the Tower and the sanctuary of his own room. Peter had Divination, but James and Sirius were also free, though they decided to stay in the common room. Remus wasn't sure whose idea it had been, though he had the distinct impression that James might have been running interference for him, keeping him insulated from the curious students—and Sirius. Of course, it could have been Sirius' idea to avoid him, but he really didn't care at the moment. He was just glad for the time alone. He didn't need a single other distraction.

The conversation he must finally have with Lindi loomed before him, consuming his every thought as he sat behind the pulled curtains of his bed. Over and over, the words that he must say played in his mind, making him dizzy with dread. Still, he knew that it had to be done, even if he was about to break both their hearts.

After a while, James came in and called his name.

"Moony, are you coming to Defense?"

"Yes," he answered, checking his watch. Time had got away from him. He quickly folded up the copy of _The Daily Prophet_ and slipped it into the drawer of his night stand, then followed James from the room.

He drifted through the rest of his day, little more aware than an Inferious.

The same sentence repeated itself in his head, like a scratched record skipping on his grandmother's old Victrola. He tried to think of other words to say, something less harsh. He even considered telling Lindi something all together different, but he knew it had to be this way, so he stopped trying to put the words out of his mind. Maybe if he said them to himself enough, it would be easier to say them to her.

While each minute seemed to take an hour, before he knew it, he was sitting in the Great Hall under a fittingly starless sky, staring down at his full plate. His three friends were subdued, barely speaking other than to ask for the rolls or salt. All around, their mood seemed to be infecting the whole school, or maybe it was just a coincidence—or a sign of the times. There had been a great deal of gloom in the paper this morning.

The thought made him shiver. He pushed a boiled onion around in the gravy of his stew, but couldn't bring himself to eat a bite. He was sure his stomach would rebel, sick as he felt. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table to find Lindi watching him, a full plate sitting in front of her, too. When their eyes met, her face didn't light up into the brilliant smile she usually graced him with. His heart ached, knowing he would probably never be graced with it again.

Screwing up all his will, he set the fork onto his plate, pushed it away and swung his legs over the bench. Across the way, Lindi followed his lead.

"Where are you going, Moony?" asked Peter.

"I have to talk to Lindi," he said. Peter and James looked at him with unmistakable sympathy. Sirius looked at the table and his jaw muscles clenched, but he stayed silent. He must have known better than to say anything.

"I'll see you in detention," Remus said.

"Good luck, mate," said James sincerely.

Remus gave him a small, fatalistic smile and walked away. Lindi was waiting for him at the door.

"Hi," she said, barely smiling.

"Hi."

Both of them were reticent, as if they didn't know each other nearly as well as they did. Of course, she _didn't_ know him nearly as well as she thought. That was about to become all too clear.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

She gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know." She looked at him with such anxiety that he didn't think he could do this. He was so sorry for everything. He prayed she'd be able to forgive him—someday.

He wanted to take her hand, but thought it would be unfair, so he offered his to her. To his slight surprise, she actually took it.

_She's still willing to hold your hand…for now_, he thought, painfully aware of how clammy his hand must feel. But hers felt so warm and soft and comforting; he didn't want to ever let it go.

They walked quietly but with purpose. He had struggled to think of a place where they could go to talk. At first he'd considered the secret passage on fourth floor, but he had such good memories of it and he didn't want that ruined. The same was true for the Dueling Hall, or DADA room. He'd considered the Potions laboratory, since he didn't enjoy it, but decided that would be unfair to Lindi, who did. Finally, he had settled on an empty room in the dungeons, down the hall from the Potions classroom. The cold stone walls, rough and unadorned, were a fitting backdrop for such a conversation as this.

He closed the door behind her and led her across the room, to a table, stacked with ancient looking chairs.

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked.

"Do I need to?" She forced an awkward laugh.

He couldn't even make himself smile, knowing that she probably _would_ need to sit.

_Or run screaming…Or fly into a fit of rage…_

The forced smile slid from her face. "Just tell me what is going on, Remus."

An elephant seemed to be standing on his chest. He couldn't breath. His stomach churned. _Just say it._ _One little sentence_…

"I—" The words caught in his throat. He swallowed, trying to moisten his mouth that had gone completely dry. _Come on, Remus_. _You can do this. You owe it to her._

But he didn't want to do it. It wasn't fair!

She watched him, eyes starting to redden. Oh, how he hated this!

_Come on, Remus! Are you a Gryffindor, or not? You know you have to! _

He thought about his run-in with Severus that morning and his blood ran cold again.

_If you really love her, you know you have to. _He swallowed once more and forced himself to look her in the eye.

"Lindi," his voice quavered only slightly. "I—I don't think we should see each other anymore."


	54. Trying to Do What's Best

**Chapter 54 Trying to Do What's Best**

A/N1: Thanks again to MaraudersWolf for betaing.

A/N2: In case you've forgotten what happened last, since it has been a while between updates, Remus told Lindi, "I don't think we should see each other anymore." :(

* * *

There…He'd said it—and somehow managed to keep the bile down. Of course, the look of devastation on her face made it rise in his throat again.

"_W_—_what_?" The word came out as barely a whisper.

_Please don't make me say it again_, he pleaded silently.

Her face went pale and she started slowly shaking her head. "You don't mean that."

_Come on Remus_…. "I do," he managed to choke out the words.

"Why?" she asked, numbly.

Hard as it had been to say those cruel words, now came the part he wasn't sure he could manage. This would be the truest test of his courage—and ability to lie. He could hardly believe he was doing this after promising her—_and himself_—that he was finally going to tell her the truth.

_You've been lying to her for months; surely you can do it one more time, he_ thought bitterly.

Oh, how he hated this!

But he would do it, for _her_.

"I . . ." his voice caught in his throat. Her eyes were now red and swimming in shimmering tears. He felt his own starting to burn. He blinked, hoping to sooth the fire, and stared over her head so he wouldn't have to look at her. Her tears would be contagious and he couldn't have that. How would she believe him if he broke down?

_Come on, Remus. Man up! _

He took a deep breath. "I think it would be best."

She stared, looking wounded, as she assimilated his words.

"It would be _best_? Best for whom?" she asked, voice quivering. "It's not best for me!"

Her words gave him strength, for he knew that it _was_ best for her, even if she might never know just why. Still, he could not look her in the eye.

"You don't think so, now, Lindi, but it _is_._"_

"_How_? How is it best for _me_?" she cried. "I _love _you!"

The strength she had given him a moment before was stripped away by those three glorious and horrible words.

_Come on, Remus, remember why you're doing this—think_….He shook his head slowly. "No, you think you do, but…"

"Don't tell me what I think," she said. Her voice took on an uncharacteristic steely edge. "I know how I feel!"

Remus turned and walked a few feet away, giving himself time to churn up more strength. "Yes, but—but you're young. We both are." He stopped and risked a glance at her. She was staring at him, mouth slightly open, eyes glistening as a tear rolled down her cheek—so beautiful. He looked away and began pacing once more. "You were right when you said it was all happening too soon—that you should date loads of boys." The words chaffed, the idea repulsive to him.

"When did I say that? I never said I wanted to date loads of boys."

"That night we talked, when we decided to start seeing each other," he said, remembering how wonderfully that night had ended. After weeks of confusion and miscommunications, they had told each other how they really felt. She had cried then, too, but it had been a happy ending. This would not be.

_Tell her the truth now, Remus._

But he knew he couldn't. "You said it was too soon, that we were too good as friends, remember?" he said.

"Yes, and I remember that you told me it was worth the risk because you really liked me. You thought we were so good together."

He risked another glance and saw that her jaw was clenched. A hardness was settling on her usually soft, gentle face.

"I know, but…" He swallowed, forcing himself to continue with the words he'd practiced in his head all day. "You were right. We shouldn't have let things go so far—get so serious so quickly. It all happened too fast."

"You didn't seem to think things were going _too_ far fast _enough _the other night," she said, sounding like he'd never heard her before, icy and dangerous.

It made him feel sick, but not nearly as sick as the look he saw in her eyes when he finally met them. He hadn't believed it was possible for those warm brown eyes to be filled with such cold anger.

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" she asked, her voice shaking. "It's not best for _me_. _I'm_ not the one who wants to date loads of other people. Stop lying, Remus! This is about _you_! What _you_ want!"

Remus stood frozen, unable to respond. He should have seen this coming, but he'd been so preoccupied with his own feelings, so worried about what _he_ would say, how _he_ would feel, that he'd somehow missed it.

_How could you have missed it? When she as much as asked you this morning? She asked about another woman….You idiot! _

But it occurred to him that this turn could be quite useful, so he didn't argue.

"I can't believe it," she said, voice falling flat again, and lifeless. "I knew it. You've been avoiding me ever since." She struggled against the tears, and her voice grew ragged. "I knew you were angry—but I didn't want to believe you'd do something like _this_." She looked into his eyes, begging him to argue.

_Tell her, you fool!_

But he didn't.

Her breathing became fast and shallow, as if she were starting to hyperventilate. "Oh, my gosh. I can't believe it." She seemed to be growing a little hysterical. "Oh . . . my . . . gosh. No…You said—I thought—Oh no, nooo!" her voice broke and the tears spilled from her eyes. "Darlene was _right_! You—you just wanted—you only cared about—you were just _using_ me!"

"No!" he said without thinking. He couldn't stand for her to think that. She would _hate_ him.

_Isn't that what's best?_ The words crept out of his subconscious.

_No! This is all wrong!_ _Tell her the truth!_

But that was his heart talking. His brain reminded him of the paper in his pocket.

_Let her hate you. _

He fell silent again.

"Then _why are you doing this_?" she cried.

_Because I love you!_ every fiber of his being screamed. But that wasn't what he actually said. Completely overcome and unable to think properly, he sputtered lamely, "I—I just think it would be best—"

"_STOP SAYING THAT! _" Her nostrils flared and her hands were clenched in white knuckled fists. "Unless you mean it's best for YOU!" She unclenched her hand long enough to point a quivering finger at him. "Admit it! You just want—I wouldn't let you—" Her jaw trembled violently. "Ooooo!" Her face screwed up in anguish before she covered it with her hands. Her shoulders shook as she wept.

Remus would have given everything he had to make things different, to take it all back and tell her the truth. It took all his strength to stand there watching her crumble, when all he wanted was to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right.

_But it won't. This is the way it has to be. She'll get over this. She IS young. And she'll have loads of blokes helping her. This way will make it easier for her._

But it was killing Remus. The thought of her hating him, of her turning to another man for comfort… He needed to get out of here, before he lost his resolve and control of his own tears.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice terribly unsteady. "I never meant to hurt you."

The look she gave him could have turned him to stone, filled as it was with such hostility he could hardly recognize her. "Well, you _have_!" she spat. "I guess you just_ couldn't_ _help yourself_! It's just like Mum said! You—you're just like—I _trusted_ you! I let you—you—GET OUT!"

Remus was stunned by her response. He was almost afraid to leave her alone. He hadn't thought it possible for _his_ Lindi, gentle and tenderhearted as she was, to be so livid.

_She thinks you used her—or only wanted to use her—for sex…how do you expect her to feel? How do you feel about how Sirius used you just for revenge? Don't be a bloody hypocrite! You're lucky she isn't hexing you! _

"GET OUT!" she shouted again.

"Will you be all right?" he asked instinctively.

She glared at him as if he'd gone insane. It was obviously an inappropriate question.

"_GET! OUT!_" she shrieked, looking unhinged, and actually pulled her wand. Red sparks sputtered from the end of it. He needed to leave before she did something they both would regret. Granted, she would probably only regret it for the trouble she would be in, but he didn't want to cause her any more.

Completely numb, he made it to the door. His hand froze on the knob. _It isn't too late to tell her the truth._

He thought she might actually be more likely to accept the truth now,—even the fact that he was a werewolf— since she might not think _even that_ as terrible as the lie he'd just told her. Maybe she'd actually be relieved to learn why he was trying to protect her.

_Trying to protect her_….He slipped his free hand into the pocket of his robes and felt the folded paper hidden there. Through sheer force of will, he pulled the door open and walked out, not allowing a backward glance. With leaden feet, he shuffled up the corridor a few paces and leant against the cold stone wall, feeling like he might collapse to the floor if not for the rough support.

He was jolted with a rush of adrenaline when he heard a crash coming from the open door. Rushing back, he stopped abruptly. Lindi was blasting the stacked chairs, sending them crashing to the ground. Five down and she seemed to lose her desire,or_ strength_ to attack anymore. The wand slid from her hand, landing with a clatter and she crumpled to the floor, letting out a sorrowful moan, and then buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Only then did the full weight of what he had done hit him, how much he had hurt her. That _he_ could elicit such an enormous response…

He never would have believed someone could care for _him_ that much.

And it was over…

He staggered away from the door before she could see him and get riled up again. His subconscious alone led him out of the dungeons, for he couldn't think. _Wouldn't_ think….

_Occlumency_…_practice Occlumency_…

It got him through the corridors, though he had no idea how many people he ignored.

"Oy, Moony," someone called urgently, jarring him back to reality. He turned and saw that it was Peter, running along out of breath. "Come on; you're going to be late for detention. Padfoot and Prongs are already at Dumbledore's office and McGonagall is waiting for you to let you in."

_Oh, bloody crap! _He had almost forgotten. How was he supposed to sit through detention? And with Sirius…._Craaap! _He hoped it would be a very strenuous, very distracting one. Something highly dangerous might be good….

Peter walked with him. "Don't _you_ have detention?" Remus asked, thankful for a minor diversion from his thoughts.

"No," Peter answered, sounding relieved. "I never actually left the castle. Sirius told me to wait for him, and he…well, you know."

"_Yes_, I know." He could hear the bitterness in his own voice and Peter fell silent. "Did you know he was going to do it, Peter?" Remus asked.

"No, I swear, Remus," Peter answered. "I didn't find out until we were in Dumbledore's office—afterwards."

Dumbledore must have believed Peter. Otherwise, Peter would surely have been punished, so Remus was willing and very glad to accept Peter's word. He needed some small bit of good news.

At least James and Peter had not betrayed him. At least he still had the two of them.

* * *

Professor McGonagall stood by the stone gargoyle outside the headmaster's office and informed Remus of the password,marzipan, but she did not follow him up.

He was shocked to find Severus Snape waiting in the headmaster's office with James and Sirius, though when he thought about it, it wasn't that surprising. Severus had been out of bounds, too.

While it made sense, it still came as a shock to see him there, and for a horrifying instant, Remus imagined sitting in a room polishing flatware with the angry Slytherin sitting across the table. Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore interrupted the nightmare and called him in to join the others in front of his desk. He immediately informed them of their mercifully _separate_ detentions.

James was assigned to the gamekeeper, Hagrid; Severus Snape to the groundskeeper, Filch; Remus was to stay with Professor Dumbledore and strangely enough, Sirius was assigned duty with Madam Pince in the library. Remus would have expected Sirius to get the more gruesome of duties, but the _library_?

Perhaps Dumbledore thought the quiet and boredom would be torturous for Sirius. Remus had long since stopped trying to figure the headmaster out. He could only trust that Professor Dumbledore knew what he was doing. He always seemed to, at any rate.

Regardless, where Remus' 'detention was concerned, Professor Dumbledore had been very generous. With the exception of the beautiful Phoenix perched behind Professor Dumbledore's desk, Remus was left in the headmaster's office alone. The portraits hanging on the wall were vacant, and Remus wondered if their occupants had been asked to leave. All Remus cared about was that he needn't worry about someone watching him, in case he became emotional over the breakup with Lindi.

But he tried mightily not to think of it, instead focusing on his task, which was to polish a very interesting set of silver instruments. They hardly needed polishing and he was actually allowed to use magic. Clearly, he was not being punished. Under other circumstances, he might have even enjoyed the detention.

But how could he enjoy anything, knowing Lindi was likely still in the dungeons, crying…heartbroken.

A lump formed in his throat, threatening to choke him. Fight it as he did, his eyes grew moist. If not for the fear of someone walking in on him blubbering, he would have relished a total emotional release, but he couldn't bear to let Dumbledore see him that way. He was a man, after all, and of age. He blinked back the tears.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to squeeze a few out between his eyelids and he felt them run down his face in a warm stream.

_Get hold of yourself, Remus_. But he felt his control slipping away. So much had happened. He was so tired….

He sensed the floodgates of his emotions crumbling; his eyes blurred making it impossible to see the tiny nooks and crannies of the small instrument in his hand. He started to set it down, lest he drop and break it, but suddenly, a strangely soothing, peaceful sound filled the room, comforting, enveloping him in warmth.

The Phoenix was singing.

* * *

As Remus left the headmaster's office, he wished he could take Fawkes with him, but he knew that somehow he was going to have to get through this on his own. His best strategy seemed to be reminding himself _why_ things had to be this way.

It worked long enough for him to return to his room, which he found empty. His detention obviously hadn't lasted as long as the others, and Peter must have gone to the library or something. Remus checked his watch for the first time all night and found there was time for him to go over the work he'd missed the last few days.

He retrieved his books, but it was futile. By the time his friends returned, he had been staring at the same instructions for the Protean Charm for what must have been forty-five minutes. Remus had the feeling they were trying very hard not to ask him about his talk with Lindi. He hardly believed they had forgotten it, but after a brief mention of their respective detentions, and Peter had updated them on his Divination study group, all of which Remus hardly heard, they all began preparing for bed.

Remus was functioning with the awareness of a zombie, somehow managing to collect his bath kit and tend to the rest of his nightly routine without even thinking. When he finally returned to the room after washing up and started to get into bed, James asked tentatively, "Moony, are you alright, mate?"

Out of habit, he almost answered, "Yes, I'm fine." But he figured he had to tell them sooner or later, and he might as well get it over with. He didn't want anything else hanging over him and making him more miserable than he already was.

"No," he said. "Not really." He paused in the middle of turning the duvet down and collected his thoughts.

"Is it Lindi?" asked Peter hesitantly.

Feeling that blasted lump forming in his throat again, he nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

"She _dumped _you," said Sirius, speaking to him for the first time since their _discussion_. His tone was accusatory and it caused Remus' hackles to rise immediately.

"Don't!" he said harshly, spinning round toward Sirius. "Don't _you_ dare say anything against her!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James and Peter glancing warily at each other. Whether they thought he was going to start fighting with Sirius again, or they were trying to figure out what had happened with Lindi, he couldn't tell. It was probably a bit of both, so he decided to set the record straight and be done with it.

"_I_ broke up with _her_."

"_What_?" gasped Peter, stunned.

"_Why_?" asked James, equally amazed.

Sirius was unreadable and said nothing, for which Remus was grateful.

"Please don't ask me to talk about it," Remus said. He fished the now crumpled paper from the robes lying across the foot of his bed and tossed it to James.

"What's this?" James asked. Peter and Sirius crowded onto James' bed and looked over his shoulder.

"Haven't you seen it?" Remus asked, knowing that they had started paying closer attention to the paper, in light of the ever increasing problems with the mad man, Voldemort, and his Death Eaters.

"I've only skimmed the headlines for Death Eater stuff the last couple days, but I don't remember anything particularly interesting," James answered. "What's in here?"

"Just read it. Bottom of the front page," Remus answered, sitting heavily on his bed.

James read the title of the article. _"Punished for Love—Or was it Rebellion?" _He looked up to confirm he'd found the right one. Remus nodded and his three friends looked at one another curiously before James started to read.

"_When Deirdre Meadows, of Garstang—_"

"Hey, I remember her," Peter interrupted. "She left year before last, remember? She was in Hufflepuff."

"Right," said Sirius. "Bit of an odd bird…wore her hair all spiked up."

"Yeah," said Peter. "What happened to her?"

"Well, if you two will let me finish, maybe we can find out," said James. "Anyway… _When Deirdre Meadows, of Garstang, failed to return from her date two nights ago, her mother, Lilith, feared for the worst. _

_She very nearly got it._

_Deirdre, 20, was found this morning, on the outskirts of town, barely conscious, locked in a Full Body Bind and attached to a bridge support with a nearly unbreakable attachment charm. She had been Stinksapped and feathered, and left in the cold all night."_

Peter whistled. "Wow, I remember reading about that happening to people back during Grindlewald's time, in History of Magic. Didn't they do that to people who mixed with Muggles?"

"Yeah," said Sirius. "But I think it's been going on all along. I remember when Andromeda started dating Ted, Mum said she'd end up getting herself sapped and feathered if she didn't stop seeing him. Dear old Mum also thought she deserved it."

"What does this all have to do with you and Lindi, Remus?" asked Peter.

"Can't you figure it out?" Remus asked wearily.

James looked up from the copy of the _Prophet_. "She was dating a werewolf," he said matter-of-factly. "Here, listen…

_According to a source with the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, speaking on condition of anonymity, Lilith Meadows waited to report her daughter missing more than a day, because she thought Deirdre might have eloped with her boyfriend, Tristan Knight, 24. Deirdre had been seeing Knight, a werewolf living in the Birmingham werewolf colony, only a little under a month, but Mrs. Meadows said her daughter was quite impetuous and always looking to give a shock.__ However, the shock came when Knight turned up looking for Deirdre yesterday morning. He had been hexed nearly to death and according to him, even subjected to the Cruciatus Curse."_

"Blimey!" gasped Peter_. _Sirius elbowed him into silence and James continued.

"_He claims to have been attacked by Death Eaters for mingling with a normal witch. __According to eye witnesses, a sign left on Deirdre would seem to substantiate Knight's claims. The word 'contaminated' had been cursed onto her forehead. No official confirmation is forthcoming, but an anonymous tip from an employee of St Mungo's has confirmed the claim and informs this reporter that they have yet to figure out a counter-curse to remove it. _

_The attack on the couple does not come as a shock to many of Deirdre's family and friends. Shortly after Deirdre and Knight began dating, Deirdre's flat, which she shares with her cousin, Dorcas Meadows, 23, was vandalized. 'No werewolf lovers wanted,' 'Wizard traitor,' and other epithets and warnings had been transfigured across the walls. __Dorcas Meadows, who happens to be a reporter for the Daily Prophet, was abroad on personal business at the time of the attack on her cousin and has only just returned upon hearing of it. When asked if she was surprised that Deirdre had not heeded the earlier warnings she said, "Deirdre has always done what Deirdre wants to do. Telling her she can't will only make her more determined. It's a flaw that I often love in my cousin, particularly when she's doing the right thing. Of course, it does make me worry at times."_

_But the 'flaw' is not loved by everyone. _

"_Deirdre has always been stubborn as a troll," said her cousin, Milton Avery, 22. "And she does bl***y stupid things just to brass off her dad. Why, as soon as she got her license to Apparate, she started going down to some weirdo Muggle pub on King's Road….Cut off all her hair and started dressing like a—what'd she call them? A Muggle punk or some such nonsense. First off, who'd let you call 'em a punk? No one with an ounce of self respect, that's who, but Deirdre knew it drove her old man barmy; she even dated a couple of them. Uncle Charles finally threw her out of the house. Frankly, I don't know what took him so long." __Charles Meadows had no comment on the attack on his daughter. According to Dorcas Meadows, Deirdre was disowned by her father two years ago, confirming the story from Milton Avery above._

"_If you ask me, she was asking for it," said an acquaintance who wished to remain anonymous. "A nice pure-blood witch shouldn't be mixing up with half breeds." _

_Who is responsible for the attack? For now, there is only speculation. Some believe it was Death Eaters, as they are on the record being opposed to purebloods mixing with non-purebloods, much less half-breed werewolves. _

_However, as pointed out by Dorcas Meadows, there is evidence suggesting that some werewolves might actually be working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. (Meadows will be exploring this in an upcoming edition of The Daily Prophet.) But if this is so, it begs the question, would his Death Eaters risk alienating the werewolf community with such acts of prejudice as those perpetrated on Deirdre Meadows? __Perhaps it is as others believe and it was members of her own family and friends, making her pay for humiliating them. Or perhaps it is both. There have been anonymous tips suggesting that Charles Meadows and other family members are involved with the Death Eaters themselves. _

_Will Chambers, of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and member of the Werewolf Capture Unit—"_

"Hold on. Isn't that Lindi's cousin?" Sirius interrupted this time.

Remus nodded.

"That's a nice added complication," Sirius said.

But Remus said nothing. He wasn't in the mood to make conversation at all, much less with Sirius.

"What's it say about him?" Peter asked.

James started reading again._ "Will Chambers of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and member of the Werewolf Capture Unit is part of the team working on the investigation and will only say that the investigation is ongoing. _"_I can't speculate about suspects at this time," he said. "There are a number of different possibilities and we're checking out all angles. We don't want to jump to any conclusions, even the obvious ones."_

James set the paper down on the bed and looked up, very solemn. "No matter who did it, this isn't good, Moony."

"I can't let that happen to Lindi," Remus answered. His voice revealed how emotionally drained he was. "That's why we can't see each other anymore."

Remus was glad they didn't start saying how sorry they were or how unfair it was. He could tell how they felt by their faces, and Remus really wasn't in the frame of mind to talk another second. Unfortunately, he was going to have to.

"How did Lindi take it?" Peter asked.

"Not very well," Remus answered honestly, even if it was the understatement of the century. He just wanted to finish talking once and for all and try to go to sleep. He almost wished it was full moon just so he wouldn't have to think. "I hurt her badly and she—she pretty well hates me."

"Nah, she doesn't," said Sirius.

Remus didn't like having his words dismissed, particularly when they were so obviously and sadly true.

"Yes, Sirius, she _does_!" he answered crossly.

Sirius watched him with that poker face of his, and didn't argue, showing unusual restraint.

"What'd she say?" asked Peter.

"She told me to get out, but I really don't want to talk about it anymore, Peter."

They quietly turned in for the night. Remus lay awake for what seemed longer than it really was. He was so exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally, that nothing could keep him awake for _very_ long. Still, his sleep was fitful, tossing and turning, waking from dreams of Lindi's heartrending sobs. Try as he did to tell himself it was all for the best, he could find no peace. He could have definitely used a visit from Fawkes….


	55. Good Intentions

**Good Intentions**

**A/N: With gratitude, as always, to my beta, MaraudersWolf. **

Thankfully, Remus had an open period first thing the next morning, and so he slept in, skipping breakfast to get a few more desperately needed winks. It was also a convenient way to avoid running into Lindi. He was very relieved that they didn't have a class together until the following day. He dreaded seeing her, but thought that every hour their first encounter was delayed gave her a chance to get more used to things.

Of course, as the hours went on, Remus wasn't seeing any improvement in his own attitude about the situation. He was sick over what he'd done. He skipped lunch as well, so Peter brought him a sandwich. He picked at it, but most went to waste. Even by the end of the day, he barely had any appetite for dinner, though he made himself go. Much as he might have liked to, he couldn't hide in the tower forever.

At first, he was relieved that Lindi had decided not to come, but then he was terribly worried about her. Was she in her room, still crying?

When Leanna came towards them after she'd finished eating, Remus hoped he might get some news on how Lindi was doing. What he got was a vicious glare. Remus thought better than to ask how Lindi was, and hoped that Sirius might find out for him, but Leanna walked right by and towards the door without even acknowledging Sirius' presence.

"What's the matter with her?" asked James.

"We had a fight," said Sirius, pausing from gnawing a chicken leg long enough to mumble the words.

"Over what?" asked Peter.

"Moony dumping Lindi."

"Blimey, that's bad luck," said Peter.

Sirius tore another mouthful from the bone, irritably. Remus looked down at his own untouched meal. He could only imagine how Leanna must have reacted to the news, particularly the way Lindi would have relayed it. His first instinct was to apologize for creating problems for Sirius, but then he remembered what Sirius had done to _him._ He couldn't manage to feel very much sympathy, though he did feel sorry for Leanna. Remus knew she had real feelings for Sirius. They'd actually become more exclusive since the Fiona incident and lately, they had been a fairly steady couple.

So now his furry _little_ problem had become a _big_ problem for yet another person. How many people would it affect? First, there were all the sacrifices Mum and Dad had made all these years; then Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Scamander put their reputations and possibly their careers on the line; and of course, Lindi…poor Lindi, and now Leanna…

It wasn't fair. None of it…But what could he do?

Sirius' voice brought him back from thoughts of running away and joining the werewolf colonies.

"I was thinking about breaking up with her anyway," he said, studying the bare chicken bone between his fingers.

"Why?" asked Peter.

"There's just too much going on. We hardly see each other as it is and it's only going to get worse." Sirius frowned. "She's been hinting lately that she's feeling _neglected_—and I can do without the _added _guilt." He shot a pointed look at Remus.

"Why, Padfoot," James said teasingly. "I do believe a person has to have a conscience to feel guilty."

"All this time, I'd have sworn you didn't have one," said Peter.

Sirius smirked darkly. "I must have acquired one, unwittingly. Maybe Dumbledore cursed me with it during detention."

Remus wondered again what the headmaster had made Sirius do in the library, but Sirius continued. "I think I'll look in the Restricted Section for a spell to get rid of the bloody thing. It's a royal pain in the arse." He moodily threw the chicken bone onto his plate with a chink, and after wiping his hands and mouth, flung his napkin down as well, looking sullen—more so than usual. Then he swung his long legs over the bench, stood and walked away without another word.

James turned and looked meaningfully at Remus. His eyes seemed to be saying, "See? I told you he regretted it."

But why couldn't Sirius just apologize like a normal human being? And why on earth did _Remus_ feel guilty? Sirius brought this all upon himself; blast him! Remus was _glad_ the prat felt guilty!

* * *

Soon they were back in their room, the tension still weighing heavily in the air. James tried, from time to time, to interject some small talk, generally about the upcoming British League Quidditch Championship in Paris that summer, to little avail. In light of everything else, only James could have cared less about Quidditch at the moment.

A loud pounding on the door made each of them start, shattering the uneasy silence. James slipped from his bed and opened the door. He blocked Remus' view, though the shock of deep red hair visible over his shoulder suggested that it was Lily Evans.

James confirmed it. "Why, hello, Evans," he said, putting on that suave voice he reserved for her. "To what do we owe—"

"I'm looking for Remus," she cut over him, tersely. "Is he here?"

Remus didn't like the tone of her voice. He hoped this was a Prefect-related visit, but, somehow, he doubted it was.

"Hang on," said James, his voice returning to more normal. "I'll check."

Remus could hear Lily make a _tsking_ sound and could imagine how her eyes must be rolling. James glanced over his shoulder towards Remus, eyebrows raised quizzically and called. "Say, Wormtail, have you seen Moony?"

Peter also looked questioningly at Remus, calling back, "I don't know; have I?"

Lily grunted impatiently.

"_Yes,_" Remus said, knowing he couldn't avoid her forever. "Come on in, Lily."

When she pushed past James, there was no smile, none of the usual jovial greetings. This was a business call, though it seemed likely that it was personal and not school-related. He had a sick feeling in his gut that Lily had been talking to Lindi. She stared at him with those fierce green eyes. He felt himself wither a bit under her gaze.

"Well?" she finally snapped.

"Well what?" said Sirius coolly.

"I'm speaking to Remus, thanks," Lily answered, equally cool and not shifting her gaze from Remus' face.

"Is this about Lindi?" Remus asked.

"What else?" she asked, shortly.

"Nothing, I suppose," he said, laying his book on the bed and swinging his legs over the edge. "We broke up."

"So I heard, but I didn't want to believe it." She looked genuinely saddened. "But I want to believe the reason I've heard even less."

_Oh, crap_… He nearly groaned. Maybe he'd been delusional, but he'd hoped Lindi would keep the _unseemly_ details to herself.

"What have you heard?" asked Peter, intrigued.

Remus hadn't had the stomach to tell his friends what Lindi thought was the reason for the breakup. Maybe it was the difference between male friends and females, but they hadn't asked for the sordid details and he certainly hadn't offered them. He probably should have considered the possibility that this might get out and filled them in himself, but it was too late now. He felt queasy when Lily turned and looked Peter squarely in the face.

"I heard that Remus dumped Lindi because she wouldn't _shag_ him," she said frankly, with a completely straight face.

Peter blinked and his eyes grew to the size of saucers.

Sirius gave a quick bark of incredulous laughter. "_What_?"

"You are not serious?" James exclaimed.

"As a Hungarian Horntail!"

"Well, you don't actually believe that, do you?" James asked.

Lily hesitated briefly then said, "I don't want to believe it, but…" She turned back to Remus. "Lindi believes it and why would she, if it isn't so? Why else would you dump her?"

It was Remus' turn to hesitate. Should he let Lily believe the ugly lie or tell her the truth? It was going to be awfully awkward either way.

While he considered in silence, Sirius spoke up. "You know, I can't for the life of me see that this is any of your business."

"You know," Lily answered tartly, turning her steely gaze upon him, "I can't for the life of me give a flying fig what you can or can't see. But if it will help your blindness to the obvious, let me explain in terms you can grasp. _I_ feel partly responsible for this. After all, _I'm_ the one who kept hounding Lindi to give Remus a chance. _I'm_ the one who kept telling her not to judge him by the rotten lot he runs round with."

"Oy!" said James, offended.

But Lily was on a roll and ignored him. "_I'm_ the one who kept telling her what a wonderful bloke he is! Now, it would _appear_ that he has made a liar out of me and I take that very _personally_! So it _is_ my business!"

Remus flinched at her anger and knew he was going to have to tell her something—and it would need to be convincing. Of course, going with the lie meant Lily was going to despise him, too.

But what would happen if he told her the truth? When he thought about it, he realized that he didn't really know Lily that well. Yes, they had been in the same House for six years, and they had generally gotten along well, but they were never much more than friendly _acquaintances_. Only in the last year had they become actual friends, first through shared Prefect duties and then they had become closer as Lily helped in the plotting to get Lindi to go out with him. Much of their friendship had been based on building his and Lindi's relationship. Was that a solid enough foundation for him to trust Lily with the most important secret of his life?

"I'm sorry, Lily," he said. "I'm sure Lindi doesn't blame you. It's all my fault. She knows that."

"Then it's true?" Disappointment streamed from Lily's eyes. "How could you, Remus? I thought you loved her. I was sure of it."

He should have looked away sooner, for she must have read the truth in his eyes.

"You _do_ love her." It was not a question.

He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Then _why_?"

"Look, he has his reasons, alright?" said James.

Lily glanced away, turning toward James, but her gaze landed on the crumpled _Daily Prophet_ lying on his bed stand. She stared at it for a moment and Remus could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain.

"Oh, my, gosh," she said slowly. Her eyes closed and they all waited, watching her. She opened her eyes and turned back to Remus. "She doesn't know, does she?"

"Know what?" Remus asked guardedly.

Lily swallowed as though she were nervous, but squared her shoulders, and Gryffindor that she was, spoke quite plainly. "That you are a werewolf."

The silence in the room was deafening. No shocked gasps; no forced denials; no cries of panic…. Only four sets of eyes shifting back and forth from one to the next, questioning, _"What now?"_ They all rested on Remus in the end, for it was his secret to confirm—or deny. For an instant, he considered denying it, but he couldn't see the sense in that. She obviously already knew. So did Severus Snape. Everything was unraveling, _and Lindi hated him_. Did anything else really matter any more?

"No," he said quietly. "She doesn't know."

Lily breathed out slowly. Her face became paler than normal and she took a step back from him to lean heavily against the side of Peter's bed. She looked as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Blimey," she said, breathless. "Sev was right."

"What do you mean?" James stepped toward her. "Did that bloody snake tell you?"

His aggressive tone seemed to snap Lily from her daze. She turned a stony gaze upon him and said, "He told me his suspicions, but I didn't believe him; no one did."

"When?" Sirius asked.

"Ages ago. Last year—when we were still talking," she said, a hint of lingering sadness in her voice. "Why? What difference does it make when he told me?" She looked at Sirius suspiciously.

But Remus was too curious to learn more from _her_. "If you didn't believe him, then how did you find out? How long have you known?" he asked.

Lily looked at her watch. "About two minutes," she said, looking back at him with a twisted little smirk and looking more like her cheeky self. "But I've had my _own_ suspicions for a few months. I just couldn't make myself believe it."

Remus smiled ruefully. She had tricked him into telling her the truth. Clever Lily… "What finally made you change your mind?"

"No _one_ thing. Sev had put the idea in my head, of course, and I started to realize that he was right about the timing of your illnesses and absences. When I finally let myself _even consider_ he might be right, a lot of little things started to make sense," she said.

"Such as?" James asked.

"Well, during that stupid woodyashagga game, you lot—" She nodded towards his friends— "Acted so defensive about everything when Lindi got the shagging a werewolf question…That was suspicious."

Remus shot them a glare and they looked sufficiently abashed.

"And one of you made a comment about him_ gnawing_ Lindi's neck when we were on the train last Christmas, and you all nearly burst trying not to laugh. Also suspicious…"

Remus gave them another look, and Lily appeared quite self-satisfied to be showing them that their arrogance could get them into trouble.

"Actually, it was _Moony_ gnawing it," she continued with the evidence against them. "Suddenly, that nickname took on a whole new meaning. And the whole _furry little problem_ thing…it just all started to fit. Then, tonight, none of this with Lindi—you breaking up with her, and that _dreadful_ reason—none of it made any sense at all. Not until I saw the _Daily Prophet_ lying there."

"What did that have to do with it?" asked Peter.

"I'd read about Deirdre Meadows. I knew her from Charms Club, so the news about what happened to her really stuck with me. Plus, there's been quite a bit about trouble with werewolves in the paper lately. Ever since that horrid Greyback was released from Azkaban."

Remus felt himself cringe at the name.

"Do you know him?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Remus said flatly. "I know him."

"He's the one who bit you, isn't he?"

_Clever, clever Lily_… "Yes."

"How—,"

"First you finish telling us what tipped you off," said Sirius. "It can't have been justbecause there were stories about werewolves in the paper? That would be quite a leap."

"Well, it was that on top of everything else," Lily said, sounding as though it should be self evident. "It seemed like every time I turned around there was something screaming _werewolf_. And not just Sev…And suddenly, Remus is dumping Lindi for the most awful reason? I just couldn't believe it. So when I saw that crumpled paper lying there, it reminded me of that story, which reminded me of all the other little things. If Remus really was a werewolf, it made the breakup make some sense. I figured if Deirdre was attacked just because she was dating a werewolf, that would make most people give second thought to doing it." She turned back to Remus once again. "Especially a werewolf who really cares about a girl." She smiled sympathetically. "It makes so much more sense than you dumping her because she wouldn't let you shag her. I mean, _really_…That's the sort of thing I'd believe of Julian Avery, or Evan Rosier, or even Black, here."

"Oy!"

"I'm joking—_mostly_," Lily teased. "But Remus Lupin? Not in a million years."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Remus said, feeling his face flush.

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," said Lily. "It was a compliment, but I'm not sure I have a lot of _confidence _in you, just now."

"Why not?" asked Peter.

"Well, he's made a right mess of things for Lindi," she said, watching Remus closely. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"You know, I was wondering that myself," said James. "I thought you were going to."

"I was," said Remus.

"Why didn't you?" asked Lily.

"You read what they did to Deirdre. I don't know if Lindi could handle something like that. And what if it was even worse? People who do things like that tend to get worse over time. I just couldn't run the risk that Lindi might want to stay with me. If something awful happened to her because of me...I couldn't bear that."

Lily went quiet, pondering. His friends waited along with Remus.

"I suppose that makes sense," she finally said. "It's really rather chivalrous of you, but—"

"That's why he's a Gryffindor, eh?" said Peter.

"Yes, but don't you think she has the right to decide for herself?" Lily asked. "I'd much rather have someone break up with me to keep me safe than because I wouldn't shag him. At least then she'd understand. Right now, she's really heartbroken."

Remus started doubting himself. Had he done the wrong thing? But what if Lindi _did_ insist they stay together? Would he have the strength to insist that she stay away? If she knew how he really felt, how much harder would it be for her to accept not being able to be together? He thought _he_ would get over it much more quickly, if _he_ hated her. As it was now, he doubted he would ever get over it.

"She'll get over it sooner this way, Lily," he said. "Trust me, I wish I could hate _her_."

Sympathy flooded Lily's pretty face. "Oh, Remus…."

"I really think it's best this way," he said, bringing back the awful memory of last night.

"Maybe you're right," she said, sadly. "Assuming she doesn't kill herself first."

Remus looked up sharply. "That isn't funny."

"No, it isn't," she said. "I take it you didn't hear about what happened last night—after you broke up with her?"

Fear instantly coursed through him. "No."

"Apparently she was hysterical and decided to go out flying, if you can imagine Lindi sneaking out in the middle of the night, alone."

But Remus could imagine it all too well. This wasn't the first time she'd done it. "What happened?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"She was crying so much that she couldn't see where she was going and ended up almost getting smashed by the Whomping Willow."

"What? Is she alright?" cried Remus.

"Yes. Fortunately, she was barely in its range. It only knocked her out of the way, but it still threw her quite a long way and out of control. She fell off her broom and landed in the Forbidden Forest."

"Was she hurt?" asked Sirius.

"Well, yes, but nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't mend. They said she had a concussion and was unconscious for a while and she had some pretty bad scrapes. According to Hagrid, a centaur found her. He stopped the bleeding and took her to Hagrid's cabin, which is very cool, really. Madam Pomfrey healed her concussion and she had lost so much blood that she had to have a blood replenishing potion. I didn't know she had some sort of hemophilia."

"What?" asked Remus, stunned.

"You didn't know, either?" she asked, obviously surprised.

He shook his head.

"Well, she does. Apparently it's hereditary. Leanna said her grandmother and mother had it, too. It's how they both died."

"They bled to death?" gasped Peter, for it was uncommon to hear a witch or wizard had bled to death, unless of course it was a cursed wound, and even most of those could still be countered by a competent Healer.

"Her Mum must have," Remus said, remembering the story Lindi had told him. He told them the tragic tale. Now everything made more sense. He'd thought it strange that a Hippogriff had attacked Lindi's mum so viciously without being insulted. While he could imagine it striking out at her instinctively, she shouldn't have been injured so badly that a Healer couldn't save her, but with the blood disorder, she must have bled to death before one could even apparate to the site.

"But her grandmother died of a snake bite," said Lily. "Remember what Leanna told us in the forest? I'd thought that was awfully strange, but because her blood was the way it was, the poison went through her system faster than it normally would. It's really scary. They both died of things that should have been treatable by any half-rate Healer. That's why Lindi has to carry a blood thickening potion with her, in case she gets more than a little scratch. Oh, and remember those bruises on her neck that we thought were love bites?"

The four boys nodded, all but Remus grinning at the memory. But Remus was too stunned by these revelations to grin.

"Well," Lily continued. "This is why she bruises so easily. Her blood is thin or something."

Suddenly, Remus remembered the little amulet that Lindi sometimes wore. He'd never given it any thought, since girls often wore jewelry of all sorts. He also remembered Madam Pomfrey handing Lindi something before the broom race against James and she'd slipped it around her neck. That must have been the potion, but he'd had no idea.

And why hadn't she told him? Hadn't they been close enough that he should have known about something that important? He felt hurt that she hadn't seen fit to share this with him.

Until he considered his own failure to share… _Honestly, Remus_…

"Well, is she still in hospital?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. Madam Pomfrey gave her a sleeping draught after she finally calmed down. When she found out what had happened, she apparently went a little berserk, because they hadn't found her broom. You know how she feels about that broomstick."

"Did they find it?" Remus asked, feeling horribly responsible and having every intention of going out that minute and finding it, even if he had to search the entire forest.

"Professor Dumbledore summoned it and fixed the crack in the handle. It's as good as new."

"Thank goodness," Remus sighed.

"So what is Dumbledore going to do to her for being out of the castle?" asked Sirius.

"I don't know. He was very kind to her when I was there, but I'm sure she'll get a detention. She could have been killed."

The thought made Remus nauseous. It would have been his fault. "But she's alright?" he asked, needing to hear it once more.

"Just some scrapes and bruises," said Lily. "And a _broken heart_."

"Come on, Evans," said James. "Lay off with the guilt trip. Can't you see he feels bad enough?"

"Maybe, but I still think he should tell her the truth."

"It isn't up to you," said Sirius. "He's doing what he thinks is best and I think he's right."

"Well, since you don't have a sterling track record with relationships yourself, you'll have to forgive me for disagreeing," Lily replied.

"That's just it," said Sirius, unphased by her snark. "He doesn't intend for them to _have_ a relationship. So there's no need for him to risk another chance for it to get out that he's a werewolf."

Remus turned and stared at Sirius. How dare he? Who was _he_ to be lecturing on not letting Remus' secret get out after what _he'd _done?

"Do you actually think she'd tell anyone?" asked Lily.

"She might," said Sirius. "She's obviously prone to a bit of hysteria."

"Shut up, Sirius," Remus said in an even but unmistakably dangerous tone.

Sirius' face hardened, his jaw muscles bulging with the effort not to say something. He must have felt as Remus did, that they shouldn't start an argument in front of Lily. Of course, Lily clearly sensed that something was going on, as she looked suspiciously from one to the other.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked boldly.

"Nothing," said Sirius.

"I don't believe that for one minute. Everyone knows something is going on…"

"Well everyone needs to mind his, or_ her_ own business," said Sirius. He then decided to change the subject. "I want to know what Snivellus said and who all he told he thought Moony was a werewolf. You said you didn't believe him, and that _no one did_. "

Lily stared, lips pursed in thought for a moment. She must have conceded that the rift between Remus and Sirius really was none of her business, for she actually answered Sirius.

"I don't know who all he told," she said. "I know he told Avery, but Avery told him he was _a jealous idiot_ and needed to get over his _obsession _with you lot. He said no one would like to believe Dumbledore was stupid enough to let a werewolf in more than he would, but that Dumbledore _wasn't_ that stupid. I doubt Sev told many others. It _did _make him look a bit of a nutter. I have to admit that I thought Sev was just jealous and trying to come up with anything to pin on you lot, too. I'm sorry to say it, Remus, but knowing how a great many feel about werewolves, it was a very huge risk for Dumbledore to take, letting you come. At first, I just couldn't believe he'd do it, either."

"I know," said Remus. "Trust me; at first, I couldn't believe it either."

"Dumbledore's amazing, isn't he?" Lily asked, smiling.

"Truly," said Remus.

"And that's why Moony can't take any chances telling anyone, including Lindi," said James. "Trust me; I know for a fact that he wanted to tell her, but under the circumstances, he's doing what he truly thinks is best."

"And _you_ can't' say anything, Evans," Sirius demanded.

Lily gave him an offended look. "Of course I wouldn't. Remus is _my_ friend, too." Then she turned her gaze back to James. "I'm still not sure I think it's fair to Lindi, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you're right."

James had the good sense to keep his mouth shut rather than make some arrogant or flirtatious comment. It was highly impressive, in light of the way Lily's mere presence usually caused him to behave. Apparently, James really was growing up.

Lily stayed for some time and they talked more than they ever had. He answered her questions about Greyback, explained about the Whomping Willow, the Shrieking Shack….

She took it all in with a bit of awe, great sympathy, but most of all, calm acceptance. Remus found great comfort in her reaction to the truth about him. After all he'd lost, at least he'd found another true friend, one who accepted him as he really was.

It allowed him to console himself with the belief that Lindi might actually have accepted him, too, had things in the real world been different.

It was a small consolation, when he considered that he would never tell Lindi all the secrets he and his friends had now shared with Lily, but it was good to have another person he could be off his guard with. Lily knew almost all there was to know about Remus John Lupin.

And she still seemed to like him.

Remus desperately needed that at the moment.

However, there were some relatively minor details the Marauders left known only to themselves. For one, they all avoided the subject of Severus Snape and _the prank._ There seemed to be an unspoken agreement to keep that private, at least for the moment. Granted, by keeping it from her, they ran the risk that Severus would tell her, even though Dumbledore had forbade him telling anyone, but until they'd settled it from within, it seemed a risk worth taking.

For one thing, Remus didn't want what Sirius had tried to do to come between Lily and the rest of them. She had been close to Severus, after all. She might become so angry with Sirius that she wouldn't want to befriend any of them, so long as Sirius was still a Marauder.

And while things were clearly strained between them, Sirius _was _still a Marauder.

Remus had a feeling James might be thinking along the same lines. Angry as James was over what Sirius had done, he clearly wasn't about to let it destroy their friendship. They had been inseparable—practically brothers—since their first meeting on the Hogwarts Express nearly seven years ago. Remus couldn't think of anything Sirius might do that would destroy James' feelings for him, short of Sirius chatting up Lily or joining the Death Eaters. Since the chances of either of those things happening were as likely as snowballs in Hell, Remus knew that James and Sirius would be friends—_brothers_—for life.

Truth be told, even Remus couldn't imagine cutting ties completely with Sirius, even with the betrayal he'd been dealt. While he couldn't see ever trusting Sirius as he had before, his inability to hate Sirius was obvious. He'd already found himself nearly forgetting the betrayal at times. Just that evening at dinner, he'd almost felt sorry for Sirius over the fight with Leanna. Of course, eventually he _would _remember, and his anger would flare.

But they'd been friends for so long…

So neither James nor Remus revealed the incident to Lily, and Sirius certainly hadn't volunteered it. Peter had followed their lead, of course.

They also opted to keep the fact that they were Animagi secret from her.

Remus was quite sure she could be trusted, but there was no reason to test her. She'd already been given quite a lot of potentially very damaging information.

However, the conversation wasn't all one sided. Remus was not going to let her get away without filling him in on a few things, too.

"So does everyone in school know about my breakup with Lindi?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Pretty much," Lily said.

Remus covered his eyes and groaned.

"I'd groan too. You've gone from straight-laced prefect to having quite the reputation as a bad boy, literally overnight," Lily said, with brutal honesty.

Remus looked mortified.

"Yes, Remus Lupin, the bad boy of Gryffindor," she continued torturing him. "You're giving Black a run for the title."

"Oy," said Sirius. "Why am I the one who ends up getting insulted even when Moony's the one who's supposed to be the randy cad this time?"

"Because we know Moony's really _not _a randy cad?" said Peter.

Sirius glared dangerously.

"Sorry," said Peter. "I couldn't resist."

"I can't believe everyone thinks—believes I would…" Remus covered his eyes again. "How am I supposed to show my face?"

"Aw, Remus," said Lily. "You really are such a decent bloke. Don't worry; no one knows. I'm only taking the mick out of you."

He pulled his hands away from his face and gawked at her. "Really?"

Lily nodded, smiling.

"But, Leanna apparently knows, and you know. How do you know she hasn't told anyone else?" he asked hoping there was a way.

"Because she made us promise not to tell anyone. She's awfully embarrassed about it, and she _really_ doesn't want Darlene Wilkins to have the satisfaction of saying, _I told you so_."

"Poor Lindi," said Peter. "She's embarrassed by something that isn't even true."

Remus' conscience prickled painfully and he hoped Lily wouldn't start in on him needing to tell Lindi the truth again. He felt his resolve was not what it should be.

"Well, if no one finds out, she won't need to be embarrassed any more than she already is and neither does Moony," said Sirius. "So hopefully she's embarrassed enough to keep her mouth shut. That's a win-win for all concerned."

Even Lily didn't argue. When she finally left their room, the mood was a little lighter. Lily's acceptance had been good for Remus, but James was in a particularly better mood.

Remus found himself happy for James, even if a little envious. James' prospects for the girl of his dreams, while still a long shot, were a _little_ brighter, but Remus' had never been dimmer.

As he lay in bed trying to get to sleep, he reminded himself yet again, _You had to do_ _what's best—for Lindi_.


	56. Bad Enough Without Clawing Off Your Nose

**Chapter 56 It's Bad Enough Without Clawing Off Your Nose **

A/N: Thanks, and congratulations to my wonderful beta, MaraudersWolf, for becoming PI accredited. It just proves what I've known all along—that she's awesome! ;)

A/N2: Throwing in a language warning on this one. Not too bad, but I wouldn't talk like this in front of my mom. ;)

* * *

The following days were long and difficult. After admitting the truth to Lily and finding acceptance, Remus wanted desperately to stop _all _the lies. Of course, he knew that was a fantasy, and no matter how badly he wanted to be honest and open, he seemed to find another need to be evasive at every turn.

There were frequent inquiries into the ongoing tensions between the Marauders. Remus knew that he should try to hide his feelings in public, but he was still so angry with Sirius. Even though covering things up normally came easily to him, he simply didn't feel like pretending everything was fine. Unfortunately, this did invite questions from many.

"It's personal," he'd answer, making it clear the topic was off limits.

And now, there were, of course, questions about Lindi. Was it true they'd broken up? What had happened? Had _she_ dumped him—because he'd have to be an idiot to have dumped her? (With which, under any other circumstances, he would have fully agreed.) Had it been due to what they'd made her do for his birthday? Because she hadn't seemed _that _upset….

And on and on, forcing him to think about it, as if it were possible that he'd be able to _not_ think about it.

"Yes, we broke up," he'd answer. "It's personal and I'd rather not talk about it, thanks."

But he thought about it constantly.

Even without the questions, there was always something to remind him. There was the door to the broom cupboard, where they'd talked and she'd been so nervous she'd fallen over the bucket; the house hourglasses that had shattered in the duel when Avery had been so rude to her; the library…he'd never be able to sit in there again without all the memories…

And of course, there was Lindi, herself. The first time he saw her following the breakup was torture. When their eyes met across the aisle of Potions class, hers immediately grew red and watery around the rims. Her jaw started to quiver, but she clenched it so tightly that he thought he could hear her teeth grind. Try as she did, she couldn't stop the tears welling up and she sat hiding behind her book or bent low over her cauldron through the rest of the class. She might have been able to hide the tears, but she could not hide the quiet sniffles.

At one point, she left for the bathroom under the pretense that her eyes had been irritated by fumes from the potion she was brewing, but no one was convinced. Each set of eyes that followed her out the door turned to rest on Remus, watching for his reaction, which he hoped remained neutral. It was difficult though, when the likes of Severus Snape and Evan Rosier gave him such cruel, satisfied sneers.

However, he tried to ignore them, and Remus didn't really hear a thing Professor Slughorn taught. He was too focused on practicing his Occlumency, so that _he _wouldn't start blubbering in class.

He worried that his grades would suffer, but as the days wore on, he found that he had become proficient enough in Occlumency to actually compartmentalize his thoughts. He didn't have to empty his mind completely and think of nothing, but instead, he could focus his thoughts on other things to keep from thinking of Lindi. This was a giant leap in his progress.

Professor Dumbledore was highly impressed at their next lesson, which occurred two weeks after the breakup.

"Very good, Remus," he said after attempting to probe for information about Remus' breakfast and getting information about yesterday's dinner.

"This is what you are all working for," the professor said, addressing the others in the private class. "You see, while it is beneficial to hide information from an enemy any way you can, it is especially effective if they don't _know_ you are hiding it. If they find nothing, they will know you are attempting to block them, so if you can show them something to divert their attention, then that is what you want to do."

So at least there was _something_ good that had come from his heartbreak, Remus thought and he smiled to himself bitterly.

"I'd smile too, if I had so much to hide," Severus Snape hissed quietly from behind. "It took you long enough, but I can only imagine how much practice you've had blocking your thoughts these past couple of weeks." He smiled maliciously. "Of course, I've been able to do it for ages."

"I can only imagine if girls retched at the sight of me, I'd have figured out how to block my thoughts ages ago, too," said Sirius, leaning in to join the private conversation.

James sniggered softly and Remus found himself appreciating Sirius' comeback on his behalf.

But at the same time, he resented it. Was Sirius trying to provoke Snape, knowing what Snape knew?

Knew because of Sirius…

Remus felt a swell of anger, but Snape looked positively livid and started to respond. Fortunately, Dumbledore called the class to order, preventing a further escalation of hostilities.

Still, worrying about Snape being taunted into revealing the secret was just another thing to weigh heavily on Remus. He wished he knew what made Dumbledore so sure Snape wouldn't blab, but he told himself over and over that he could trust Dumbledore.

However, when he became particularly anxious, he would fall back on his newfound success with Occlumency and shut the worry out.

Remus was shutting a huge amount of thought out these days and it was draining. Occlumency was a very labor intensive practice. It took great focus and mental strength, so that he could only maintain it for short periods of time. Still, it worked well enough to get him involved in a class, until the actual work could distract him. It also helped him through meals and in the halls between classes, particularly when Lindi was present.

But if he was alone in his room for any length of time, he was forced to think about everything. He figured it was probably for the best, as he needed to work through his sorrow and that couldn't be done if he kept it buried in his subconscious. So he let himself mourn—mourn for the loss of trust in Sirius, and for the death of his relationship with Lindi.

There were many excruciating hours alone in the dark and quiet behind his bed curtains late at night.

* * *

While the days were less agonizing than the nights, they were still a struggle. As if the fight with Sirius or the breakup with Lindi wouldn't have been bad enough on their own, some started linking the two entirely separate situations together.

Over the last weekend of March, Remus, James, and Peter were in The Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmeade visit. These trips had become rarer as the attacks by Voldemort and his Death Eaters became increasingly more common and violent. Remus knew it was only a matter of time before Dumbledore canceled the excursions altogether, but even so, he hadn't wanted to make the trip. He was in no mood for revelry and worried that Rosmerta might confront him for what he'd done to her cousin. He also didn't want to run into Lindi, but James had still managed to talk him into going. James could be quite persuasive, and it _was_ James' birthday.

Sirius was serving one of the month's worth of full weekend detentions he'd been given for the '_prank_,' and couldn't join them. That made convincing Remus he should come a little easier. Remus felt sorry for James having to celebrate the milestone of his coming of age without his best friend, but it was Sirius' fault. It was just one more unhappy consequence of Sirius' reckless actions. Hopefully he was learning a valuable lesson.

At any rate, Remus tried to have fun, for James' sake. Once they'd entered The Three Broomsticks, the three Marauders convinced Lily, Mary MacDonald, and Celia Kellar to join them at their table. This went a long way to making James' birthday a happier one, especially since it meant that Lily was in town without Hal.

While she let it be known they were still seeing each other, Remus sensed that the relationship was definitely cooling. Not that it had ever appeared particularly passionate, but Lily seemed increasingly bored with it. She had been spending more time in the Gryffindor common room and even with the Marauders since learning Remus' secret, than she had with Hal. James had noticed, too, and was clearly encouraged.

"She'll dump him within a month," he said one evening after a particularly pleasant visit. "Bank on it."

And here she was, spending a Hogsmeade trip with them. Remus felt a little niggling of envy, but it couldn't stop him from being cautiously optimistic for James. He wanted his friends to be happy, even if he couldn't be.

While they were having their first round of drinks, a group of third year Ravenclaws took the table next to them. They were situated between the Marauders and a group of Slytherins that included Avery, Rosier, Snape, Mulciber, and Regulus Black. Remus noticed that the Slytherins started whispering to the Ravenclaws, who would then look over at Remus. Soon, the young Ravenclaws began to look a bit uncomfortable and seemed to be having some sort of dispute amongst themselves.

Remus tried to ignore them all. He wished he had his back to them, but for some reason, he always preferred to face the entrance. He liked to be aware of people entering, but now he had to face the whispering, snickering Slytherins.

He wished he was back at the dormitory.

Eventually, James, who fortunately had his back to them, became impatient waiting for a waitress and went to order another round. Remus felt a little guilty that James was buying their drinks when it was James' own birthday, but just _a little_ guilty. After all, James could afford it, and Remus certainly couldn't. He also knew James really didn't mind. It gave him a chance to impress the girls, or _try_ to, anyway. His methods might have become a little more subtle with age, but James was still a bit of a showoff.

While he squeezed his way up to the bar, three of the Ravenclaw boys walked over and stood next to Remus.

Looking rather nervous, the first, a boy by the surname of Ainsley, said, "Hiya, Remus, erm…we were just…" He fidgeted awkwardly and glanced over his shoulder at the Slytherins. They looked a little threatening and had obviously set him up to say something. He spooled up some courage and said rather quickly, "So, did something happen between Black and Lindi? Did they—_you know_?"

"What?" Remus asked, amazed at not only the question, but the nerve of the boy. He could see the Slytherins leering.

"Is that why you're brassed off at him and why you broke up with Lindi?" asked the second, whose name Remus didn't remember.

"No," Remus answered, nearly sickened at the very idea.

"I don't blame you. I'd be royally brassed off at him, too," said a pimply-faced one. "Can hardly blame him, but what kind of an arse pulls a mate's girl, even if it _is_ Lindi?"

"Shut your pie holes, you stupid bloody prats! You don't know crap about what you're talking about!" snapped James, coming up behind them and making them jump. "Now, sod off, before I hex the bollocks off the lot of you!"

James' reputation obviously backed up the threat enough to put an immediate end to the questions. The three boys slunk back to their table, muttering apologies, but Remus had a feeling the speculation would continue. He certainly didn't like the way Evan Rosier and Julian Avery were whispering and smirking at him. Mary and even Celia remained awkwardly silent for a spell. Lily congratulated James on a job well done for shutting the 'little berks' up. Remus wished, yet again, that he'd stayed at the castle.

And then there was Lindi….

Remus' fear of running into her was realized when she came into the pub soon after the ridiculous questions—_with her cousin, Will_. Even as crowded as the room was, her gaze instantly fell on Remus, as if it had been drawn there by magnetic force. He could see her breath catch when she glanced to his side and saw Celia sitting next to him. Remus knew immediately from the look on her face what was going through her mind. He didn't need to be a Legillimens to see that the memory of that day in the Hog's Head came rushing back to her. It must have been stirred in Will as well. He looked at Remus gravely and then whispered something to Lindi, guiding her past the bar and through the door to the rooms in back. Only after the door had shut behind them did Remus breathe freely. He had fully expected Will to come over and throttle him on the spot for hurting her. But maybe Will didn't yet know just how much Remus had hurt her. That very minute, Lindi was probably telling him how Remus had made an aggressive pass at her and that he had broken up with her because she '_wouldn't shag him'_.

_Oh bloody craaappp_…. Remus wanted to shout out loud. Nausea rolled through his stomach and the bile inched up his throat. Will was going to hex him into oblivion! His first thought was to head back to the castle, pronto, but running away wasn't Remus' style. He was a Gryffindor after all. He might not seek out a duel, and might even try to avoid it, but he wouldn't run from it. Besides, even if he had _kept it in his dacks_, as Will had instructed that day on the train platform_,_ and hadn't broken up with Lindi for not shagging him, he still deserved the hexing he was going to get for hurting her as he had.

But it didn't come—not that day, anyway. Lindi and Will were still in the back when James and the others were finally ready to leave. There was a part of Remus who regretted that the throttling had been delayed. He really hated having to dread it.

* * *

March melted into April, but the spring was late in coming. A cold and grey gloom hung over the Hogwarts grounds as if nature itself was affected by Remus' mood.

Though it was more than just Remus' mood.

Two more students had lost loved ones in the war with Voldemort. Yes, after all these years of steadily increasing violence, people had finally started to acknowledge that there was a full blown _war_ going on. This wasn't just some isolated psychopath targeting random Muggles or Muggleborns. Voldemort was amassing a powerful army to gain control over the entire wizarding world, or at least their part of it, for starters.

Terror had taken hold of all of Britain, to the point that even the editors of the _Daily Prophet_ wouldn't print Voldemort's name anymore, for fear that he would curse them. News stories had the stench of intimidation about them, as though the reporters were afraid to even suggest that Death Eaters were guilty of crimes that everyone knew they had committed.

During interviews, spokesmen for the Department of Law Enforcement became evasive or attributed crimes to _'what_ _might just be rogue thugs acting on their own'_ rather than placing responsibility where everyone knew it belonged.

It was strange and frightening to see even the Ministry of Magic cowering in the face of a sadistic tyrant while the newspaper basically ignored it, or worse, intentionally covered it up. Only a few of the reporters seemed willing to risk reporting the full facts. Dorcas Meadows was one and she had published the promised article on the probable link between Death Eaters and werewolves. Meadows even had the nerve to include the accusation that Fenrir Greyback was behind the disappearance of Caleb Sheridan. Sheridan was the man who had been investigating the attack by Greyback at the Three Broomsticks that Lindi had been witness to. The report went further, even offering incriminating evidence that a prominent member of wizarding society, Abraxas Malfoy, had suspected ties to the Death Eaters and might be giving Greyback false alibis for the time of Sheridan's disappearance. She stopped short of accusing Malfoy outright, but it had taken great nerve to even suggest the possibility.

She also included information on the case of Alban Randolph, the werewolf who had been accused of killing his wife a few weeks earlier. According to Meadows, Randolph had passed an interrogation while under the use of Veritaseram, but he was still being held in Azkaban, awaiting trial. Meadows clearly believed the man and his insistence that werewolves were being forced into service with Voldemort through threats and extortion. Sadly, Meadows also reported that there was every indication that many were joining voluntarily. Of course, it made no sense for them to do so, what with the Death Eaters holding their pureblood prejudices, but there was a saying that war made for strange bedfellows, and from all indications, it was true.

While Remus was relieved that some truth was being told, it did not bode well for him_ personally_, as it only increased the animosity most witches and wizards felt towards werewolves.

Sometimes, he almost wished the paper would stop reporting at all, so he would have an excuse to cancel his subscription, for there were other things in it to haunt him, besides the stories of violent werewolves.

One morning at breakfast, he was reading another editorial about the need to increase restrictions on werewolves, due to the current crises. Remus recognized the woman's name. He had read her diatribes against werewolves before, but he wondered if there had been a misprint, and instead of Umbridge, her name was really Umb_rage_, which would have been far more fitting. Regardless, she was a wicked witch, and at first, he was happy when Peter distracted him from the hateful article.

"Hey, Moony, look at that," Peter said eagerly from across the table.

Remus lowered the _Prophet_ and looked around.

"No, there," Peter said, reaching across and tapping the paper. "It's Lindi."

Remus flipped the paper over and felt the breath catch in his chest. It was indeed Lindi, looking more beautiful than he'd ever seen her, which was saying something. Her dark hair was loosely piled on her head, delicate wisps falling gracefully around her blushing face from a ringlet of white blossoms she wore like a crown.

For an instant, absolute panic gripped him, but he glanced across the Great Hall and saw her sitting there in her usual spot, or her _new_ usual spot. Since the breakup, she'd been sitting with her back to him. But she was there, still at Hogwarts, slightly slumping over the table, looking woebegone. Her head was resting on her mercifully _unadorned _left hand.

Remus started to breathe again. She certainly didn't act like a new bride. He lifted the paper up again and noticed that his hands had gone all clammy. He shook off his nerves and inspected the photograph more closely. Those were clearly wedding robes she was wearing. She looked like a dream…_his_ dream… (And probably quite a few others'.) But from the look of her sitting miserably at the table, she was still no one's dream come true.

_Thank God! _he thought, almost breaking out into a cold sweat.

It was only an advertisement. Now he saw the caption that read _Put him under your spell in a wedding robe from_ _Matrimony by Malkin_.

Lindi had told him about Madam Malkin's son asking her to model, and he'd already seen an ad for their new spring line, but she hadn't mentioned modeling bridal robes.

When had she done them? From the look on her face in the picture, it had been before their breakup, for she was smiling and looked happy, as a bride should. And he knew the blush on her cheeks was out of embarrassment over having someone take her picture, but it worked marvelously for a beautiful blushing bride. He almost laughed when she smiled bashfully and covered her face with the bouquet of flowers in her hand. Then she rushed off the page, unable to stand the attention any longer.

But he didn't laugh.

Oh, God, how he missed her…

_Occlumency…Occlumency…._

* * *

When the day of the April full moon arrived, it was something of a relief. Much as he hated the pain of transforming, he almost looked forward to it. For one thing, he could pretend it helped make up for the pain he'd caused Lindi…a sort of penance. At the least he looked forward to the hours of complete oblivion.

But he was also very nervous. This would be the first full moon without his friends to entertain him since they'd become Animagi, over a year ago.

Correction… it was the first he would go into _knowing_ it would be without them. The last had been without them, too, thanks to Sirius.

And Remus couldn't make himself forget the agony he'd suffered, what he'd done to himself trapped in the Shrieking Shack all alone. The wolf had been particularly vicious, hating being caged after he'd gotten used to having a pack and running wild.

It made Remus shiver with dread.

And then anger…

But no matter how much he dreaded it, this full moon would have to be spent alone. Again, thanks to Sirius, because Remus didn't trust him anymore.

"Don't be stupid, Moony!" Sirius shouted at him when he finally told them they were not to come to the Shrieking Shack that night.

Remus had waited to tell them until the last minute, to avoid a prolonged fight.

"You have the nerve to call_ me _stupid_? I'm_ not the one trying to kill people!" he shot back, barely containing his rage.

"Oh, will you let it go?" Sirius howled. "You know I'm not going to do anything like that!"

"That's the problem, Sirius. I _don't_ know it! You've already tried it once!"

"Oh, for the love of Godric! Talk to him, James!" Sirius implored.

"Honestly, Moony," James said earnestly. "Nothing will happen. I promise you; I won't let it."

"You need us, Moony," said Peter.

Remus looked into their concerned faces and wanted more than anything to agree.

But then he looked at Sirius and all the anger bubbled up. He wasn't ready to forgive, and giving Sirius that responsibility, allowing Sirius to have that power over him, would make him feel like a hypocrite.

And a selfish coward…

He shook his head. "No. I know you both mean well, but I just don't trust him. And Prongs can't control the wolf by himself." He looked Sirius in the face. "You can't come." And he rushed out the door and closed it behind him to prevent further argument. Of course, he could still hear Sirius raving and cursing and something slamming into the closed door as he hurried down the spiral stairs.

Remus felt a hint of satisfaction… He liked having the control. He seemed to have lost all control over everything else in his life, so it felt good to wield some.

Even if he did dread the results….

He reached the common room and saw Lily glance up from her books. She seemed to have been watching for him and looked anxious. She was obviously worried about him, now that she knew the truth. In a way it was comforting, though he hated knowing people worried about him. He was a grown man, after all. He gave her his bravest smile and she nodded, returning a small one.

She was his friend. She accepted him…_cared_ for him…. It gave him strength. He called upon that strength a short while later as he sat on the chilled floor of the Shrieking Shack, waiting for moonrise and the transformation, knowing his friends were not out in the tunnel waiting to take him out running. Knowing what was to come….

He hadn't felt this alone since his mum and dad had locked him in the cage in the basement, when he was still too young to really understand.

_Occlumency…Occlumency_…

But he wasn't nearly good enough to block out the pain that shot through his limbs—and his still all too human heart.

* * *

A damp draft chilled him and Remus slowly opened his eyes. A floor board creaked overhead, then silence. It must have been the wind. He rolled over gingerly, trying not to aggravate any injuries the wolf may have given him, but the expected pain didn't materialize.

Yes, he was very achy, as he always was following the transformation, but there wasn't any excruciatingly horrible pain. There didn't seem to be any dislocations or serious gashes. He carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around.

Nothing out of the ordinary…except the open door. He was sure that he had closed it. Hadn't he? _Yes_… He had made a point of it; had thought about his friends being locked out. But now it was open and letting in a cold draft.

Had the wolf somehow triggered the lock?

_And turned the knob? Come on, Remus…_ But he didn't know how to explain it.

_Unless…No…No, they wouldn't dare_…

Of course he knew better. There was very little he could name that the Marauders wouldn't dare to do.

Still, James and Peter wouldn't ignore his wishes like that.

_Would they_?

The tunnel door creaked and then soft padding of feet and swishing robes sounded outside in the hallway. Madam Pomfrey must be coming. Remus looked around, frantically searching for his robes, but he'd removed them in the next room, as usual.

_Crap_… Now he knew he was feeling much better this month than last, since the fact that he was naked actually bothered him. He was also able to make a dive for an old cushion under the battered sofa and hold it over himself, providing a semblance of modesty. Not only had he not bothered last month, but he would have been physically incapable.

"Well," the nurse said as she entered the room, sounding relieved. "Good morning, Remus. You don't look any too worse for the wear. Not nearly so bad as last month." A crease formed between her eyes as she crossed the room toward him. "I guess that's what not having idiots outside the door to stir things up can do for you. It looks like you were back to normal last night."

"Yes, ma'am," he said in his hoarse voice.

"I'll check you over to be sure," she said. "Do you hurt anywhere? Aside from the usual, of course."

"No, ma'am."

She took out her wand and cleaned off a few nicks and scratches, then rubbed a bit of bruise healing paste over some spots on his lower back.

"I'd like to know how you got those," she said, "but you do tend to end up with strange bruises." She shrugged and pulled a potion from her bag. "At least you don't need a blood replenishing potion this time."

Remus nodded absently. He was wondering about the bruises. They had always attributed the ones in strange places to Prongs' antlers, from keeping the wolf in line.

But that would mean….

"Remus?" the nurse said, drawing his attention and holding out the pain potion to him.

"Sorry," he said and took it. "Thank you." He drank it down and handed the vial back to her.

"Well, that should do it. Everything looks as good as you could hope for. I'll get your robes and then wait for you by the tunnel."

"Actually, Madam Pomfrey," he said, remembering the creaking floor. "I think I'll just rest here for a while."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, hoping she didn't find it strange that he would want to stay.

"I can see to it that you aren't disturbed in hospital," she said pointedly.

He smiled, appreciating her concern. "It isn't that," he said. "I just have something I want to figure out and I think I can do that better here."

She gave him a curious look, but didn't press the matter. That was something he really liked about Madam Pomfrey. She didn't pry into his emotional state.

"If you're sure then, I'll help you get to the bed."

"That isn't necessary. Really," he assured her. "I'm fine. Just tired and sore."

"Very well," she said. She dug in the bag and handed him a small vial of another potion. "You'll be wanting that."

He took the sleeping draught from her. "Thank you."

"I want you to check in with me by dinner," she said.

He assured her he would and waited for her to leave before struggling to his feet and going to retrieve his robes from the next room. He set the potion on the rickety table and pulled the robes from under the chair. As he started dressing, he heard the floor creaking above him again, but this time, it was obviously not the wind. They weren't trying to be quiet any longer. He stopped fastening the robe and took a deep breath. It made him gasp, sore as his ribs were. Still, the pain didn't distract him from his rising anger.

They had ignored him, completely disregarding his express order not to come.

The old stairs groaned under their weight and he turned toward the door to wait for them. He wanted desperately to sit in the chair; his legs were trembling with fatigue and cramping from the transformation, but he refused to appear weak when they arrived.

Never mind that they had seen him battered and incapacitated plenty of times. But that was before they had shown such little regard for his wishes; before they had shown so little respect for him as a man.

He wasn't really surprised at Sirius, but James and Peter….

He was reminded of the time when they had informed him of their plan to become Animagi. He had told them no, but they had argued with him then, too, and won. And he had benefited tremendously for it.

_And you have this time, too,_ flitted through his mind before he could stop it.

_But that is beside the point_, he told himself, determined to hold them accountable for the offense he felt they'd committed against him.

By the time the three Marauders stood in the doorway, he had forced any appreciation he felt to the back of his mind.

"Alright, Moony?" James said after they'd all stared at each other for a moment.

Remus knew James knew better.

"No, I'm not alright," he said. "Why did you come? I told you not to."

"I know, but…" James paused and sighed.

Peter looked very awkward, but Sirius…Sirius looked like his usual arrogant self, so defiant.

"They came to help me help you," Sirius said calmly.

Remus' ire sizzled like Ashwinder eggs as he looked in those steely grey eyes. "How dare you?" he croaked, barely able to get the words out his voice was so hoarse and his throat so tight with anger.

Sirius just stared at him, seemingly unphased.

"I told you not to!" Remus barked, the strain of shouting hurting his raw throat.

"And I decided not to let you cut off your nose to spite your face," said Sirius. "Or should I say_ claw_ it off, in your case?"

Sirius acted so calm and superior. His cool tone and demeanor, not to mention the nasty _claw_ crack enraged Remus. How dare he act like Remus was being foolish?

"That is not your decision to make!" Remus said. "And I'm not doing anything out of spite!"

Of course, if he'd been calmer and completely honest, he might have admitted there was a little spite involved. Maybe more than a little…. The truth was that Sirius' betrayal had hurt Remus deeply. But it had also _endangered_ him and his future, not to mention the danger in which Sirius had placed Severus and even James. Only a saint would be able to completely forgive and forget that.

"I'm doing it because I can't trust you!" Remus continued. "When you endangered Severus, you endangered all of us! You showed that you couldn't be trusted and now you've only confirmed it by ignoring my wishes!"

Remus could tell his words had actually stung. Sirius took loyalty seriously and would be very offended to have his trustworthiness questioned. He didn't respond right away and he seemed to be fighting to maintain his composure. For a moment, Remus thought James was going to speak up, but he held his peace. Maybe he thought it was good for Remus and Sirius to get this all out in the open once and for all.

Finally, Sirius shrugged. "Fine. So be it," he said. "You don't have to trust me. I don't really care anymore—not if it means I'm supposed to sit back and let you rip yourself to shreds over it."

Remus stared at him, nostrils flaring. How was he supposed to respond to that? Sirius all but admitted he would do whatever Sirius damn well pleased.

It was infuriating.

"It isn't up to you! You're supposed to do what I tell you to do! It's my life!"

"And you'd rather rip yourself to shreds than let me be any part of your life, now?" Sirius said harshly, losing a little of his own cool. "All because I told Snivellus something he probably would have figured out on his own sooner or later anyway! He'd already seen you with Madam Pomfrey! He was already going to try to follow you! But yeah—it was _all my fault_ and now I'm supposed to be a good boy and stay in my room, knowing what you'll do to yourself, just so you have the satisfaction of knowing I'm doing just what you _told me to_!"

Remus felt thrown slightly off balance. Sirius might have been right about Severus finding out on his own, and Remus probably would have _ripped himself to shreds_. But still….

"You are supposed to be my friend! You are supposed to have enough respect for me to respect my wishes!"

The icy grey eyes stared hard at him. After a short pause, Sirius smiled ironically. "Sorry, mate," he said quite calmly. "But friends don't let friends be idiots. I actually respect you far too much to let you do something so completely stupid, when there's something I can do to stop it."

While Remus had been on the verge of softening, this only served to rile him again. He did not appreciate being accused of stupidity. "IT ISN'T UP TO YOU! It's MY life! You can't just do whatever _you_ _want_!"

"Well, I _did it_! And I'll warn you now; I have every intention of doing it _again_! So, unless there is something you plan on doing to stop it…" Sirius said this last in an infuriatingly level voice and shrugged to finish.

Remus stood glaring. _Dammit!_ The only recourse he really had was to tell Professor Dumbledore. But Sirius knew Remus wouldn't tell and get James and Peter into trouble, too. The fact of the matter was, there wasn't much he _could_ do, unless he planned on stunning Sirius and putting him in a body bind before the full moon. Of course, the chances of Remus overcoming the talented Sirius, particularly when Remus would be suffering from the effects of the impending moon were practically non existent.

There was also a little niggling thought growing inside that he really didn't _want_ to do anything about it. In all honesty, Remus didn't relish the idea of what the wolf would do to him if Sirius actually obeyed Remus' demand. The previous full moon without them had been terrible. Granted, seeing and smelling Severus Snape and James had incited the wolf to extreme violence, but memories of full moon recoveries prior to the Marauders tormented him. Much as he hated to admit it—and he would _not_ admit to Sirius—there was a part of him that was thankful they had kept the wolf entertained, even if it was against his wishes.

"So, what are you going to do? Are you going to hex me?" Sirius taunted when he didn't reply. "I know—just don't speak to me anymore. That'll show me. Oh wait…you haven't been speaking to me for weeks, have you?"

Remus almost exploded with the fury raging inside him. At that moment, he wanted to hex Sirius more than he could recall ever wanting to hex anyone in his life.

But he also couldn't help feeling—deep down inside—a twinge of… _something else_ wriggling up out of the anger. Somewhere buried in the fury was the knowledge that Sirius was trying to make amends, in his own, twisted way. Angry as he was, Remus knew Sirius had done it to keep the wolf calm, and not to ignore Remus' wishes.

But still, the arrogance… "You bastard," Remus growled.

Sirius stopped and looked blankly at him. "Don't call me that."

"I'll call you whatever I want. If you can _be_ a bastard and do whatever you bloody well want, I can sure as bloody hell call you one," Remus answered, still not nearly ready to let Sirius off the hook.

"Take it back."

"No."

"I said, take it back!"

"No! You are a bloody bastard!"

Sirius pulled his wand and pointed it at Remus.

"Oy, Sirius!" James cried.

But Sirius ignored him. "I said take it back," he said dangerously. "No one talks about my mum that way."

Remus blinked, a bit confused at Sirius' defense of his mother's honor. Sirius despised the woman. Looking around at James and Peter, Remus could see their confusion matched his own.

Sirius looked at him sternly. "Take it back. I may be a son of a bitch, but I'm no bastard. Got it?"

Peter snorted out loudly. James struggled not to laugh, but the sniggering was audible. Remus was torn between wanting to hex Sirius into oblivion and thinking how much he'd missed Sirius' complete irreverence. Sirius could be the most infuriating person Remus had ever known.

Oh how he had missed his friend.

"You really are a son of a bitch," Remus said.

The faintest glimmer of a smile brightened Sirius' grey eyes.

"That's what I said," he answered. "I'll go so far as to admit that I'm not just a son of a bitch, but a son of the queen bitch from Hell."

James and Peter didn't even try to suppress the snorts of laughter.

"You're also an arrogant arse," Remus said as earnestly as he could manage with the smile tugging at his own mouth.

"That too, and I'm not likely to let you forget it either."

And that was as close to an admission of guilt as Remus was likely to get from his arrogant, stubborn friend.

It would do.


	57. Paving the Road

Chapter 57 Paving the Road

_A/N: Thank you, MaraudersWolf, for beta reading my story, and sticking with me through delays and down times._

_Thanks also go to the wonderful readers/reviewers, who've given me encouragement. I've needed it lately. :*) Your kind words, and knowing someone is still out there waiting have been a nice prod. Thank you. I'm sorry to have made you wait so much._

_On with the story…_

_The road to Hell is paved with good intentions._

* * *

Having the Marauders back together made the last few weeks before the end of the school year a good deal more tolerable. Their playful and irreverent banter, taunts, and pranks gave them and their housemates much needed distraction from the increasing onslaught of dark news from the outside world. Even students from other houses seemed to brighten now that the four Gryffindors were nearly back to normal.

However, no one was more grateful for it than Remus. Managing his heartbreak over Lindi was proving to be every bit as difficult as he'd known it would be, and his friends gave him much needed support.

For one thing, Sirius was absolutely convinced that Remus had done the right thing by keeping the truth from Lindi, and any time Remus found himself doubting it, Sirius would say so.

"You read what that Umbridge cow from the Ministry had to say in the _Daily_ _Prophet_," he began. "She's trying to stir up trouble for werewolves, Moony. Has been since she made such a stink over that Randolph incident. She's getting loads more attention in the paper, too, and the werewolves are playing right into her hand with all these recent attacks and especially if they really are getting involved with Voldemort. And whether they are or not, none of them are speaking out against him, or offering any sort of help to track down the ones who _are_ responsible for the attacks. If they keep it up, she won't just convince people we need more regulations; she'll get them to agree that Bodach Thanater had the right idea, and they'll start organizing hunts. I'm not joking! It could get very ugly. You can't take the risk of anyone else finding out."

Though it was still very difficult to have Sirius, of all people, tell him he couldn't risk others finding out, Remus had to admit Sirius was right, and not just for Remus' sake. It was more dangerous for Lindi to be associated with a werewolf now, too.

And so Remus tried mightily to shut out the images of Lindi's shimmering, red-rimmed eyes that haunted him. He tried to ignore the fact that she looked so miserable in the corridors, or that she never seemed to really eat, but only picked and poked at her food. He kept waiting for the day when he learned through the grapevine that she was going out with someone else, signaling that she was getting over him, moving on….

But oh, how he dreaded that day.

Which of course made him feel horribly guilty. He really should want her to be happy.

_I do_, he told himself firmly. _I want her to be happy!_

Still, he tried to pretend the screaming _but_ at the end of that sentence didn't exist. He was loath to admit, even to himself, that he didn't want her to be with anyone else. He was ashamed of his secret_, selfish_ desire for her to enter a convent or something.

But he simply couldn't bear the thought of her with another man. As much as he detested himself for it, he was terribly relieved to learn from Lily that Lindi was not likely to start dating anyone for some time. He couldn't help himself asking Lily about Lindi whenever they were alone, knowing Lily would have information. Now that Lindi was not speaking to Remus, Lily was working with her to prepare for the O.W.L retest.

So one evening after a Prefect meeting, he came right out and asked Lily, "Has anyone asked Lindi out yet," knowing it wouldn't take long.

"Last night in the library, Mitch Beerbohm asked her to go to the Wizards Chess Club party with him next weekend. I sincerely hope he's better at chess than he is at romance. What an utterly stupid move. She could barely tell him no before she started tearing up. I would have felt bad for him if he hadn't put her in such an awkward position—in front of a table full of her housemates." Lily shook her head in disgust. "What an idiot. Apparently Rowena Ravenclaw was more concerned about her students wanting to _learn_ _things_ than having any common sense. I mean, _really_, he can't _tell _she isn't ready?" She made a sound of revulsion.

"She isn't?" Remus asked, hating the relief he felt and hoping Lily couldn't hear it in his voice.

The look she gave him clearly said, 'Come on; you know better,' before she spoke again. "No, she isn't. She thinks she _hates_ men at the moment," she said with just a hint of blame in her voice. "It's going to take her a while. Right now, she just wants to pass her O.W.L. retest."

"How is she doing?" Remus asked, glad to discuss something other than Lindi's dating life.

"Do you really want to know?" Lily asked.

"Yes, of course I do."

"All right then, she's not doing well at all," she said with her usual candor. "I think she'd do very well, if she could concentrate. You did a really good job teaching her, Remus. I can't get over the progress she's made since last year. Unfortunately, every time she goes to cast a new spell, she starts getting all weepy. She can't get her incantation out for her voice cracking and her wand starts shaking. Instead of focusing on her casting, she's obviously thinking of _you_; I suppose because you're the one who taught her. Of course, I think she thinks about you pretty much _all_ the time, no matter what she's doing."

Remus thought Lily was going to start haranguing him about telling Lindi the truth again, and he didn't think he was strong enough to argue. He would have liked a moment alone to be a little weepy himself, but Lily didn't berate him. Instead, she sighed and said, "It's funny. If she passes, it will be because of you, and if she doesn't, it will be because of you." She smiled sadly. "And I don't mean funny in a haha sort of way."

_Poor Lindi_…. It occurred to him that, hard as the breakup had been for him, he was having an easier time than Lindi was, and that seemed patently unfair. After all, _he_ was the one who had lied to _her_ all these months. _He_ was the one who had convinced _her_ to give him a chance. _H_e was the one who knew the whole truth and so could at least comfort himself with the knowledge that she truly cared for him. On the other hand, _she_ only knew lies, betrayal, rejection…

She would find no comfort in any of that.

Yes, it was patently unfair.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), he had Sirius to keep him from letting his emotions get the best of his reason when he started feeling his resolve weaken.

"Do you think she'd feel better if she let it slip and you ended up expelled or _worse_? Trust me, I don't think she would," Sirius said pointedly, sounding almost apologetic. "Or would she be better off ending up like Deirdre Meadows? Look, Moony, I know you feel badly about it. I don't blame you. I actually feel sorry for her, too, but you know the saying, time heals all wounds or something like that."

"So they say, but how long is it supposed to take?" Remus asked, thinking that his wounds seemed as raw today as the first day.

"I don't know. Depends," Sirius shrugged. "It hasn't been very long. Summer hols are just around the corner. You'll have some time apart so you don't keep running into one another and it'll help—_both_ of you."

"Out of sight, out of mind?" Remus asked skeptically.

"Exactly." Sirius sounded confident.

Remus didn't bother to mention the other saying, the one that he felt more likely to be true, at least in his case. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder._

Hopefully, for _Lindi's_ sake, it wouldn't.

Already, her _fondness_ for Remus was causing more than enough trouble. With only a few days left before her retest, Lily informed the Marauders that Lindi still wasn't ready.

That wasn't all Lily had to say when she came to dinner, obviously discomfited.

"Alright, Evans?" asked James, when she plopped down on the bench across the table.

"What?" she said looking pensive. "Oh, yes, I guess. I don't know—maybe."

"What's wrong?" asked Peter.

Clearly, there was something on Lily's mind. She was usually a very focused and decisive person. The first thing that came to Remus' mind was that she and Hal had broken up. He had the feeling James was thinking the same thing from the way James sat up, looking eager, as Lily seemed to consider what to tell them. She looked around into the four faces. She came to Remus' last and paused, apparently still thinking.

Finally, she let out a puff of air and said, "I don't know. Probably nothing."

"Tell us," said James. "Maybe we can help you figure it out."

A little frown bent Lily's lips. "You lot are more likely to overreact and turn it into something even if it isn't."

"When have we ever overreacted?" asked James, attempting indignation, but only managing flirtation.

Lily rolled her eyes wildly, but before she could say anything, Peter spoke up.

"Does whatever is probably nothing have anything to do with _that_?" He nodded towards the entrance.

Remus felt like he'd received a blow to the gut when he glanced up and saw Lindi walking in with Severus Snape, Regulus Black, and Evan Rosier. Had she been with them, or had they only just bumped into each other out in the corridor?

_Please let them just have bumped into each other_….

Whichever was the case, Lindi nodded when Snape said something and then turned for her table, looking back once and smiling, if rather weakly, at something Rosier said. The three Slytherins headed toward their own table, and Remus did not care at all for the smarmy smile Rosier gave him when he spotted the Gryffindors watching. Whether anything had transpired between Lindi and the three or not, Rosier was obviously trying to imply something had.

Trying not to give Rosier the satisfaction of thinking he was in the least bothered, Remus forced a bland smile and turned casually back to Lily. "What is going on, Lily?" he asked in quiet urgency, horrified at what the answer might be.

_Don't let her be going out with that_…

"Sev is—_helping _her with her DADA," Lily said a bit cryptically. "I'll explain when we get back to the tower." She looked across the table at some second years who were watching them.

Immensely relieved that Lily hadn't said, "Lindi's going out with Evan Rosier," Remus breathed a little easier, though he still didn't like the idea of her spending time with any of that particular gang of Slytherins, regardless of the reason.

Lily accompanied them back to their room in Gryffindor Tower, after they'd finished eating rather hurriedly, though far more slowly than Remus would have liked. Anxious as he was for what Lily had to say, he couldn't help noting with mild amusement that James had hurried to enter the room first and surprisingly, his bed was neatly made and the smelly Quidditch socks and pants that Remus would have sworn had lain drying over the footboard that afternoon were nowhere to be found.

Perhaps the Hogwarts House Elves had been by again, but the faint stench of stale sweat that had been stirred up made Remus doubtful. That and the fact that James' bed was now a neat oasis sandwiched between the rumpled linens and scattered clothes on Sirius and Peter's beds confirmed his suspicions that the House Elves had not been back that afternoon. Hopefully, for James' sake, Lily would blame those two for the odor. Remus found himself smiling at the thought, and the distraction felt good.

The feeling was short lived.

"So, what is Snivellus up to?" asked Sirius, lowering himself onto his bed and reclining against the headboard.

Lily had become less touchy about the use of the derogatory name over the months and barely acknowledged she'd noticed, but for a small lopsided frown. She waited to answer until she had crossed the room and sat on the foot of Remus' bed.

Once settled, she took a deep breath and began. "Apparently, while he and Lindi were working together on the potions challenge Professor Slughorn set us, she told him she thinks she's going to fail her O.W.L. because she's _distracted_, so he's come up with a plan to help her _focus_." Lily frowned more seriously.

"What sort of plan?" asked James. "If he gives her some sort of potion to help her, and they find out, Lindi could fail regardless of how she does. She knows that, right?"

"Or even get expelled," said Peter.

"Typical Slytherin," snarled Sirius. "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying hard enough."

"Hang on," Lily said. "They aren't making a potion. He isn't _giving_ her anything." She paused thoughtfully.

"What's he doing then?" asked Sirius.

"He's _taking _something," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus.

"He's using what we've—" Lily glanced over at Peter and paused again.

"_What_?" asked James eagerly.

She thought for a moment before saying, "Sev's not just good at potions you know. He's also very good at _controlling his thoughts._" She looked pointedly at all but Peter.

"He's teaching her _Occlumency_?" Sirius said incredulously.

Lily blinked and cut her eyes toward Peter again.

"Don't worry, Lily," Peter said. "I know all about where they go and what they're doing with Professor Dumbledore."

Lily cocked an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised? Do you lot have any secrets?"

"Not from each other," said James, playfully insinuating that they still had plenty of secrets.

While Lily knew their biggest and darkest, she looked intrigued to think there might be more she didn't know, which of course, there were. James grinned haughtily.

Remus hated to interrupt their flirtation, but he wanted to know what in the blazes Snape was doing with Lindi's mind.

"_Is _he teaching her Occlumency?" he asked.

"No," Lily answered. "He knows he'd never be able to teach her in such a short time." A deep crease appeared between her eyes, showing how disturbed she was. "He's not going to try to get her to suppress the thoughts that distract her. He's going to remove them altogether."

"_What_?" Remus, James, and Sirius said in unison.

"Do you mean he's going to Obliviate her?" Peter asked.

"No, he's going to remove them so he can put them back later," said Lily.

Peter blinked. "I know you lot do that with Dumbledore, but can you do it to someone else?"

"I've never tried," said James.

"Why would you?" said Sirius. "_You_ aren't a nosy scheming git who can't mind his own business."

"Lindi _wants_ him to do it," Lily said, in Severus' defense.

"Has he ever done it before?" Remus asked.

"No, but he said he's read about it."

"I bet he has," said Sirius darkly. "What dark magic hasn't he read about?"

"I wouldn't call it particularly dark," said Lily.

"Stealing other peoples' memories?" Sirius said, brows raised.

"It isn't stealing if the other person asks."

"Learning to do it in the first place is still a bit dodgy, though," said Peter.

Remus had to agree. He knew how to remove his own thoughts, but he'd never even considered trying to remove them from someone else. Snape _was_ best in the class at Occlumency, but removing memories from someone who didn't know what she was doing had to be trickier.

Plus, how many memories was Snape going to remove? Aspects of Remus and Lindi's relationship were intensely intertwined with months of her life. It wasn't the same as removing a few specific events while briefly practicing Occlumency. Snape would have to remove huge swaths of her memory to erase Remus and her feelings for him from it. Surely that could be dangerous.

Dumbledore had warned them of the dangers of messing with memory when he'd first shown the students how to remove them. Lindi could become very confused by the gaping holes and even worry that she was going insane, especially if someone mentioned things that had been removed as though she should know them. Considering Remus had been the one to teach her most of what she knew of DADA, it seemed impossible for Snape to remove memories of him while leaving in tact the knowledge she'd need of the spells.

Almost as disturbing, Remus _hated _the thought of Severus Snape, or anyone for that matter, having that sort of access to the intimate details of his relationship with Lindi. Would Snape actually see them when he removed them? How else could he get them out?

The very idea was sickening.

"He can't," said Remus. "He'll confuse her."

"I know," Lily said. "I told him he shouldn't be messing with her mind like that, but she's desperate."

"Well, did you tell her she could be expelled for cheating?" asked Peter.

"No, because I don't see how it would actually be cheating," said Lily. "It isn't as if he's putting knowledge _into _her mind. The memories are only personal distractions. I suppose it gives her an advantage she might not otherwise have, but…" Lily sighed. "She _has _to pass this O.W.L or she's never going to be a Healer. A _Healer_…It isn't as if she's trying to be an Auror. How often is she going to have to fight dark wizards in hospital—distracted or otherwise? She really only needs to be good at the remedies part of DADA, doesn't she? And she's brilliant at that part, but she still has to pass the practical, which she won't do if she's busy pining over Remus. I just can't find a technical reason why she can't do this other than the danger to herself. Of course, that is a huge reason, but again, she's _desperate_. This is her last chance. Maybe if _someone_ told her the _truth_, she wouldn't need to resort to drastic measures."

_Ouch…._

"_Come on_, Evans," Sirius barked, before Remus could summon a response.

"You know why he can't do that, Lily," James joined in reasonably.

Lily's lips were pressed into a straight line, showing her frustration. "I know," she finally said. "I'm just not sure it still makes as much sense as it did at first."

"Why not?" Peter asked.

"Because at the time, he did it because he was trying to protect her, right? Well, now she's endangering _herself_ because of it, so it isn't really working, is it?"

Remus thought she had a point.

But Sirius argued. "The risk from this is nothing to the risks they'd _both_ face if he told her the truth. Sure, she might end up confused for a while, but all Snape has to do is put the memories back and no harm no foul."

"What if he scrambles them or something?" Peter asked.

Sirius looked at Peter as if he were dim, not taking into account that Peter hadn't had the lessons with Dumbledore. "And how would he do that? With an egg beater?" He rolled his eyes and said, "It's easy to remove memories from yourself. I don't see why it would be much more difficult to remove them from someone else, especially if that person is willingly giving them up."

"I made Sev promise he'd put them all back," Lily said. "Even if Lindi doesn't _want_ them back."

_Ouch_…again…but Remus wouldn't blame Lindi if she wanted to completely and permanently expunge him from her memory. Still, there _were_ dangers in that. He had to think that if the dangers weren't real, witches and wizards would simply remove any unpleasant memory and live in ignorant bliss.

But they didn't….

A couple of days after Lily had informed them of Severus Snape's plan, Remus nearly bumped into Lindi coming around a corner on the stairs leading to his Ancient Runes class. Ever since their breakup, whenever they ran into one another, she would look up at him surprised, blush, turn quickly and hurry off before the tears could burn her eyes. On this day, she simply blinked, looking at him in a somewhat dazed way and then smiled a small, coy smile.

"Hello, Remus," she said.

That smile and her sweet voice saying his name made his stomach swirl with the excitement one feels when running into a new crush, but it sank quickly when he realized what this meant. Severus Snape must have succeeded in removing her memories of him. Obviously, she didn't remember that they'd been involved, or that Remus had broken her heart. He was nothing to her.

But at least she remembered his name.

"Hello, Lindi," he said through a constricting throat. "How are you?"

"About to be late for Ancient Runes," she said making a funny panicked face.

_Great Godric, she's so beautiful._ "Me, too," he said quickly, trying to distract himself.

She blinked; then her brows came together in thought. "Do you take Ancient Runes?"

The constriction on his throat tightened. She didn't remember that about him either. He nodded. "I'm on my way there."

The crease between her eyes deepened. "Is there an O.W.L level class at the same time as N.E.W.T?"

_Oh, crap_. "No."

She blinked again and frowned in consternation. "But…you aren't in my class…_are _you?"

"Yes," he said, smiling mildly, hoping that she would not become disturbed.

The confusion was already setting in. Remus wondered why he'd been removed from her memories of Ancient Runes class. Clearly, all memory of him had not been deleted. Snape must have realized the problems that would have created when she saw Remus in the corridors and could not remember who he was. But why had he not left the memory of him in her class?

"That's so odd," Lindi said dully, interrupting his own confusion. "How could I possibly have missed you all year?"

"Well, teachers have told me I need to speak up more in class discussions," he said, shrugging as if that would explain her being oblivious to a person's presence for almost an entire year.

She gave a little huff of incredulity. "No one is _that_ quiet. This is so odd…"

"What's odd?"

To Remus' great relief, Lily came strolling around the corner and gave him a quizzical look.

"Lindi doesn't recall having Ancient Runes with me," he said, raising his eyebrows pointedly.

"_Really?_" Lily said, her own brows rising. "That _is_ odd. Have you had your tea today, Lindi?" She laughed with forced levity.

But Lindi didn't laugh. "Yes, but…" She blinked yet again and shook her head as if to clear it. "This is so odd. I wonder…" She trailed off, looking worried.

"I think you've just been worrying too much about your DADA O.W.L." Lily said earnestly. "I bet you haven't been sleeping well, have you?"

"I slept really well last night, actually," Lindi said. "Severus tested me on all the spells he thinks I'm likely to be asked to perform, and I could do almost all of them. At least he said I did them well enough to pass. Well, all but that blooming _Ridiculus." _An involuntary shiver coursed through her, and Remus nearly smiled knowing she was thinking of the Boggart becoming a snake. "If they give me a Boggart, I'm done for. But…"

Just then, the bell rang in the hallway, reminding them they needed to be in class.

"Oh, crikey!" Lindi gasped. "We're late! See you, Lily!" And the two started to run to class, Remus thankful for the end of their awkward conversation, but regretting it just the same.

Oh, how he'd missed talking with her.

He hated having to part from her when they sprinted into the classroom and she headed to her usual seat in the front of the class, but he took a seat at the back, as he had since their breakup. It was strange for him when she looked back over her shoulder at him, as if to confirm that he was actually there. It was stranger still when she blushed and gave him that coy little smile and whipped her head around when he caught her eye. It was the same way she acted when they first started getting to know one another. It was the same smile she'd given Sirius when he was trying to pull her for that bet.

It was the way she seemed to act when she was interested in someone.

_Oh, blimey, surely not_….but Remus couldn't deny the thrill it gave him, even if it was completely wrong.

The temptation to stay and walk with her after class was massive, but he resisted and made sure he was ready to leave as soon as class was over, before she could catch up to him.

That evening, his emotional stability took another blow. Lily came and sat with the Marauders as they lounged in front of the fire in the common room. She arrived as Remus was readying to leave for Prefect rounds.

"You are not going to believe what I've just been discussing with Lindi," she said, cocking one eyebrow in a way that led Remus to suspect it hadn't been idle chit chat.

"What's that?" asked James.

"Oh, just how adorable Remus is and whether or not he's seeing or interested in anyone."

James gave a surprised snort. "Not really?"

"Yes, really." Lily shot Remus a slight glare.

"What did you say to her?" Remus asked anxiously, though his heart was racing to know she was still interested in him.

"What could I say? I didn't want to lie to her face, and I couldn't very well tell her the truth, so I told her I didn't know, but that yes, you are adorable." Her lopsided, pitiful smile showed him she wasn't completely disgusted with him. He felt himself going pink and was grateful when Lily went on. "I thought about trying to warn her off of you, but figured as soon as that blasted O.W.L. retest is over tomorrow, Sev will give her back her memories and clear everything up."

"And she'll be safely back to hating me for the randy cad I am," Remus said, masking the bitterness he felt with self-deprecating humor.

Lily smiled with even more sympathy. "And men in general, if it makes you feel any better," she said, "which is probably just as well."

"What's that mean?" asked Peter.

"Nothing," said Lily abruptly. "I've said too much. I really shouldn't be blabbing Lindi's secrets. I only told you lot about her asking about Remus because of the, er, unique situation."

"Come on, Evans," said Sirius. "You can't drop hints like that and then leave us hanging."

"Sure I can," Lily said smirking mischievously. "We can _all_ have secrets, can't we?" And she pushed herself up out of the chair and headed toward the tower stairs waving. "See you lot later."

"Oy, Evans! Where are you going?" called James.

"To my room. Goodnight," she answered, not looking back.

James looked disappointed until Peter pointed out the obvious.

"She hasn't spent much time with Hal lately, has she?" he said, diverting their attention from the questions regarding Lindi.

"I'm telling you, that will be over within the month," James said, cheering significantly.

Remus still wondered what Lily meant, of course, but he kept it to himself and left for his prefect rounds after James happily challenged Sirius to a game of Wizards Chess.

The halls were strangely quiet. Normally, people would be milling about in the corridors around the library and Great Hall, or laughter would be coming from the classrooms where students gathered with friends from other houses. However, this being the week of O.W.L and N.E.W.T examinations, there was a tense quiet only broken now and then by groans from panicked students fearing they were going to fail everything.

One nearly hysterical seventh year's cries rang out loudly through the corridors. "I'm going to fail Arithmancy! I'll never work for Gringotts! What was I thinking? I'll be lucky to get a job vanishing Krup poop for some rich old crone!"

Continuing down the hallway, Remus could hear the girl's friends trying to calm her. As curfew drew near, Remus would need to go into the classrooms where people were studying and shoo them out. He disliked this, as many were not only worried, but very ill tempered with the stress from testing. Worse still, it was not uncommon to come across couples in the process of 'letting off a little steam,' as he had done with Darlene prior to their own O.W.L's the year before. Not only was this uncomfortably awkward, but it served as a rude reminder of his own weaknesses and stupidity. It also made him think of how that had hindered his relationship with Lindi, and how it now served to reinforce her conclusion that he'd only wanted her for a bit of slap and tickle.

Needless to say, Remus wasn't enjoying his rounds tonight. He didn't think it could get any worse after he'd nearly been forced to hex a fifth year Ravenclaw who'd almost gone completely berserk, accusing Remus of wanting him to fail when Remus told him he could not go back to the library and would have to return to Ravenclaw Tower, even if he could continue studying there.

But it did.

After he'd made the rounds and cleared the classrooms in the dungeons, he started back up the stairs and came face to face with Severus Snape.

"Hello, Severus," he said, as it wasn't in his nature to be rude and ignore anyone.

The look on Snape's face suggested he would have preferred being ignored to having to speak to Remus. "What are you doing down here?" he hissed. "Shouldn't you be up on your tower_, howling at the moon_ or something?"

Remus forced himself not to give Snape the satisfaction of making him look away. He smiled benignly. "Not tonight. It's a new moon."

Snape's nostrils flared; he was not amused. "Lucky for us _normal_ people."

Remus didn't let his small smile slip, though it was a challenge. He nearly walked away, and probably should have, but he was too tempted. He needed to hear word of Lindi from anyone who would know, and Severus definitely fit that bill.

"I heard that you're—_helping_ Lindi," he said. "It's very kind of you." That was painful for Remus to say, considering his worries, but he didn't want to put Snape on the defensive (or offensive) more than he already would be toward Remus.

Snape's lip curled into an ugly smile. "Yes it is, but _someone_ had to clean up your mess, not that you care."

_Don't let him get to you_. "I don't want Lindi to fail her test any more than you," Remus answered calmly. "I know how much it means to her. I want her to be happy, even if we aren't dating anymore. But, I also want her to be _safe_."

"Then why were _you_ dating her in the first place, _werewolf_?"

At that, Remus instinctively looked to the floor, ashamed to have it thrown in his face that he had been so selfish.

"And I don't believe your breaking up with her was some noble act. After all, werewolves aren't known for self sacrifice, are they?" Snape said. "So don't pretend to care about her to me."

Remus regretted his decision not to walk away when he'd had the chance. He knew it would do little good to argue with Snape. "I'm not pretending, but it doesn't really matter now, does it? Just be careful with her, Severus," he said and started to climb the stairs.

"I think it matters to Lindi," Snape said. "But if it doesn't matter to you, that's all that counts, right?"

Remus continued up the stairs.

"By the way," Snape called after him. "That was quite the birthday party you had for yourself."

Remus froze. He knew he should walk on, but he felt as if his feet had been caught in cement.

"Didn't quite get _everything_ you wanted, though, did you?"

_Ignore him._ But Remus felt the blood coursing through his veins, warming his face. He knew Snape had seen.

"You know, just by looking at her, it's hard to imagine a girl like Lindi being a virgin, isn't it? She looks so—_mature_. I have to admit, it came as a bit of a surprise that the two of you hadn't—_done the deed_. Not that you didn't try, eh?"

Remus knew Snape was only trying to provoke him, but he couldn't stop himself turning around.

"Don't talk about Lindi that way," he said with deadly calm.

Snape cocked one brow curiously. "What's it to you? You dumped her, didn't you? But it isn't _Lindi_ I was insulting, anyway. Lucky for her she had the sense to not let a werewolf contaminate her. Though just barely."

Remus felt like his blood was actually going to boil, but Snape went on. "And to think I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you might have dumped her for some noble _Gryffindorish_ reason, like not wanting her to be sapped and feathered, but I should have known better. Still, that you would dump her for not shagging you..." He shook his head. "Frankly, I wouldn't have pegged you as the type to really care about shagging." His lip curled in a nasty sneer. "But she _was_ rather irresistible in that costume, wasn't she? Or should I say coming out of it—"

"Shut up, Severus," Remus said, his tone more dangerous.

Snape had seen everything. A raging fury was swirling inside Remus' chest, made worse by the sneering twisted smile and laughing eyes staring cruelly at him. "If you share those memories with anyone, I—"

"Save your breath," Snape snarled, still smiling his nasty smile. "Your mate, Black, has already been around making more than enough threats for the whole lot of you."

Remus blinked, taken off guard.

"Yes…You'd think he was the one who'd dated her," Snape continued. "Maybe I should have looked for more memories." His grin was more wicked than ever and Remus realized what Snape was trying to do, create suspicion and another wedge between the Marauders, as if the sheer pleasure of tormenting Remus with Lindi's _actual_ memories wasn't enough entertainment for him.

And Remus had nearly fallen for it. It was bad enough that he had let Severus goad him into responding. Normally, he handled taunts much better than this, but as his friends liked to tease, he seemed to lose his mind when it came to Lindi. He really needed to be more careful.

"Just put her right when she's finished with that O.W.L," Remus said. "She's already getting confused." Then he turned and climbed the stairs.

"Aww," Snape called after him. "Maybe the big bad _wolf_ does care. Too bad it wasn't enough to stop you lying to her in the first place, so she wouldn't need to be confused."

Feeling as if Snape had just plunged a dagger into his heart, Remus continued to walk away.

It took some time for Remus to get to sleep that night. Worries about Lindi's mental state, her chance of passing the O.W.L., and the knowledge that Snape had witnessed the most intimate moments Remus had shared with her kept him well agitated. He felt as though he'd only just gone to sleep when his alarm woke him. He wished he could just stay in bed. He didn't want to face Snape again—or Lindi.

It was heart rending when he looked up at breakfast and spotted her watching him, a look on her face like one trying to figure out how they know someone. She noticed him looking and blushed and smiled…

However, the look on Leanna's face when she turned around to check who Lindi was flirting with was nothing less than pure disgust. It made Remus blush, too—with shame.

This was simply unbearable. He'd almost be glad when Lindi hated him again.

Or so he would have thought.

The following evening, Leanna cornered him in between two stacks in the library, where he was searching for a book to help him study for his Transfiguration final. He started to ask her how Lindi was and how she had managed on her O.W.L. He was very concerned, since Lindi hadn't been at any of their meals all day and he hadn't seen her in the hallways, but Leanna beat him to it.

"I hope you're _happy_," she hissed quietly, obviously struggling to control her temper in the quiet library, so as not to rile Madam Pince. "You—sorry bloody wanker!"

"What's happened?" he asked, too concerned for Lindi to be offended by Leanna's barely contained rage.

"Exactly what I knew would happen when Lindi got her memories back. It's like she just relived the entire miserable thing all over again. Snape might as well have been slapping her in the face with every bit he put back. And here you are, fine as you please, with your other _girlfriends_…." She motioned towards the table he was sharing with Peter, Lily, Mary McDonald, and Celia Keller. "While you've been going about your jolly good day, Lindi's been in her room, crying her eyes out—_all over again_. You…" Leanna shook her head with disgust and muttered, "bloody effing wanker!" Then she spun around and stomped away.

Remus did not find the book he'd been looking for.


	58. Unexpected Curves in the Road

Chapter 58 Unexpected Curves in the Road

* * *

The last few days of term dragged on. Now that Lindi's memories had been restored, it seemed to Remus that she despised him even more than she had before they had been removed. He might have believed that Severus Snape had tampered with the memories before he'd put them back, to make them even worse than they actually were, but Lily assured him that wasn't the case. She explained that it was the way Lindi had flirted with him while the memories were missing that made her so much more upset.

"She's humiliated," Lily told him late in the evening, as he and his friends sat around the fire in the nearly deserted common room. "She thinks you were laughing at her for being an idiot."

"But I _wasn't_," Remus said, desperately.

"I _know_ that," Lily said consolingly. "And I told her you weren't. I told her you felt very sorry about it, but she didn't want to hear it. She's just so hurt, Remus, because she still cares so much about you, and she can't bear that _you_ know that. Think about it. She was flirting with the bloke who dumped her. That _would_ be rather humiliating."

"Are you trying to make him feel better or worse?" asked Sirius.

"I don't think he can feel any worse," said Peter.

"Right, so can we talk about something a bit more cheerful?" said Sirius. "We have two days left until hols, and exams are over. What are we going to do with all this time on our hands?"

"Leave me out of it," said Lily. "I've no intention of spending my last couple of days of freedom in detention with you lot."

"Oh, come on, Evans," said James. "What could you have to do that would be even remotely as interesting?"

"Let's see…watching the lake evaporate?"

"Come on, why don't you come into Hogsmeade with us, or we could go into the forest one last time this term?" said James, unphased by her snark.

"You know Dumbledore cancelled the Hogsmeade trip because of the attack on that witch who worked at Gladrags," said Lily, more seriously.

"That just means it will be easier to find a table at The Three Broomsticks," said James, smiling his best devilish grin.

Lily smirked. "Like I said, I have no intention of spending my time in detention. Tomorrow, I'm going to sit in the sun and watch the lake evaporate with Mary and Celia, assuming it doesn't rain again."

"And then I guess you have plans with Hal?" said Peter offhandedly, asking what he must have known James desperately wanted to ask, but whose pride would not let him in a million years.

"No, actually," said Lily. "Hal and I broke up last night." She sounded neither relieved nor sad about this, only matter of fact.

Remus could see the muscles clenching at the back of James' jaw, keeping him from breaking into a smile.

Peter showed more reaction when his eyes widened and he said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It was completely mutual. We both knew it was coming and it's for the best. He's leaving this year and will be starting Auror training right away and I'll be getting ready for N.E.W.T.s next year." She shrugged. "We're still good friends." She looked at Remus sadly, and had the compassion to stop talking about it. "Speaking of friends, Mary is waiting for me. I'll see you lot later. Try not to get expelled right before the end of term."

She had barely walked away when James unclenched his jaw, and unable to suppress the grin any longer, said, "Didn't I call it?" They spent the next few minutes arguing about whether James actually had. His time frame had been a few weeks off, but it didn't dampen his spirits in the least.

Remus wished his spirits could be so high, but even James' sheer glee, an illegal excursion into Hogsmeade, and a foray into the Forbidden Forest could only cheer him for a short time, and then, only somewhat. Sadly, everywhere he went seemed to remind him of Lindi.

Finally, mercifully, the end of term arrived. It was a grey, drizzly day, and cool for the beginning of June: a perfect backdrop for the way Remus felt as he sat on the Hogwarts Express discretely watching Lindi from his window. She was saying goodbye to Leanna. After a teary hug, she didn't even wait for the train to pull out, but crossed the platform and headed into Hogsmeade alone, looking utterly depressed. She looked almost as sad as Remus felt and he found himself sincerely hoping that Sirius would be right about all that out of sight, out of mind business.

If not for the Marauders to distract him with planning for the summer full moons, it would have been a very gloomy ride to London. Even so, during the quiet moments, he would think about how this was one of the last times he'd ride the Hogwarts Express, and he really should be enjoying it more. The next time he would board the train would be for his last year. He wasn't sure he was ready for that, for the end of his time at Hogwarts, not knowing what the real world would hold for him. Under the circumstances, the real world didn't seem any too promising.

Of course, only a few short months ago, he probably would have said he couldn't wait to leave school, with the prospect of starting a life with Lindi before him.

But he knew that had been a delusion. Now, he could see nothing to look forward to after school. Sadly, it seemed that there was little to look forward to _at_ school either, because _she_ would be there, so close, but so far out of his reach. It was going to be torture.

And what if she had managed to get him out of her mind—and _heart_ over the holidays? A great deal could happen in over two months. What if she was dating someone when they returned?

_You might as well be prepared for that, because it will happen_, _eventually_, he told himself miserably.

Fortunately, James started talking again, preventing the rest of the ride from becoming too morbidly depressing. Remus _made_ himself actually care about the Quidditch Regional to be held in Paris that summer. James was quite excited about going and so it was a little easier for Remus to be interested, particularly when James talked of other things he and his parents were going to do while in France.

At any rate, it took Remus' mind off of his own problems, so the rest of the trip was more pleasant and over in no time. They passed through the barricade into the main terminal at King's Cross together. Then he said goodbye to his friends, until the full moon, and headed off to make the Knight Bus trip alone. He'd tried to convince Mum to let him apparate from London, but she was afraid the distance was still too far for him, since he'd only had his license barely three months. They'd compromised and Remus would take the bus to Llanberis and then apparate the rest of the way home, saving Dad from making the cart ride to meet him.

For once, he was actually thankful for the nausea inducing ride of the Knight Bus. Like James' chatter, it helped keep his mind off other things. In no time, the bus jerked to a stop in the shadow of Mount Snowdon on the outskirts of town. Remus dragged his trunk and climbed down the steps onto the deserted back road. After stepping off the road, he pulled his wand and shrunk his trunk. He began to bend down to pick it up so he could slip it into his pocket for the apparition home, when the bang of the Knight Bus leaving sounded behind him, startling him.

_Shouldn't it have already gone?_ The Knight Bus normally wasted no time once passengers disembarked. He turned around and his stomach fell almost as quickly as he instinctively raised his wand, which was luckily still in his hand.

"Hello, Lupin."

_Bloody Hell…_

It was Lindi's cousin, Will Chambers. What was he doing here? Remus hadn't noticed him on the bus? He must have been on the upper deck, or one of the people who'd been hidden behind a newspaper.

None of which mattered. What mattered was that he'd followed Remus off the bus.

"Hello," Remus said calmly, though his pulse was beginning to pound and his wand was leveled at the larger man standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk," Will said blandly. His gaze shifted to the wand in Remus' hand. "You can put that down. I'm not here to fight you."

Remus hesitated, not sure if he should trust the other man. Being followed all the way to Llanberis was rather suspicious, to say the least. In light of the threats Chambers had made if Remus hurt Lindi, Remus decided to keep the wand raised, even if he did deserve a good hexing for what he'd done to her.

"Honestly," Will assured him. "Not that it didn't cross my mind to give you a good belt on the nose for feeling Lin up and then dumping her." He cast Remus a rather annoyed smirk.

"She told you?" Remus asked, mortified.

Will snorted. "Of course not! She'd die if she knew I knew. She told _Rosie_, who told me, after she made me promise I wouldn't flay you for it, though I think she rather hoped I'd at least scare the daks off you. I guess she'll be disappointed." He gave a small lopsided smile. "You don't seem all that scared. Of course, you _are_ the one with his wand out."

"I'm not used to being followed."

"Especially by men whose favorite cousin's heart you've broken, seemingly under rather _ugly_ circumstances?"

Remus didn't answer, though he hated the way his face grew warm.

Will grinned wider. "I don't mind telling you, when I first heard about it, I was mad as a cut snake, and like I told Rosie, it's lucky for you Lin said you didn't pressure her. Trust me; if you had, you most definitely _would _need that wand, but no worries. You can put it down. If I was planning on hexing you, I'd have disarmed you as soon as the Knight Bus vanished. I could see your wand you know. Come on, I just want to talk. Let's get off the road. How about over in those trees?"

"Why do I get the feeling some poor hiker might find my body rotting in there in a few weeks?" Remus asked, though for some reason, he was starting to trust Will.

Will continued grinning. "Maybe because you think you might deserve it. Lin would probably say it was your guilty conscience talking."

_Lin…Lindi… _Remus could hear her saying something like that_._ "She'd probably be right," he answered softly.

Wills smile grew smaller, even sympathetic. He nodded, understanding. "Go on and keep your wand out if you want."

He walked down the bank into the thicket, disappearing into the underbrush. Remus bent down and picked up his shrunken trunk. He slipped it into his pocket and followed the other man, lowering his wand at last, but not stowing it. He wasn't _that_ trusting. There was a reason Will Chambers had followed him all this way. Remus wasn't sure what that reason was, but he knew it wasn't to joke about his guilty conscience.

When Remus broke through the brush, Will was reclining in a comfortable looking club chair. He'd conjured one for Remus as well, and motioned for Remus to sit. Remus lowered himself into the round chair, resting the hand holding his wand across his knee.

Watching this, Will gave a little amused snort and then stared hard at Remus for a second. It was a little disconcerting, but not nearly as uncomfortable as what he asked next. "So, want to tell me why you broke Lin's heart?"

Remus decided to follow Will's lead and smiled benignly, so that his answer wouldn't seem belligerent. "Not particularly," he said. While he didn't mean to be a smart arse, he didn't want to appear weak or overly deferential either. He didn't think Will was the type of man to respect that, and Remus realized he wanted Will's respect, if he could possibly get it. He thought that, had things been different, he and Will might have been friends. He couldn't help liking the man, even if he did worry Will might try to hex him into oblivion.

Surprisingly, Will laughed. "Ha! Can't say as I blame you! So, what if I take a stab and tell you why I think you did it?"

"I thought Lindi—or Rosmerta—already told you," Remus said, dreading the response.

"Do you mean that waffle about dumping her because she wouldn't let you have a naughty?"

While he'd known it was coming, Remus' face still nearly erupted into flames after hearing it put so plainly.

Will looked terribly amused. "You're blushing," he tormented good naturedly.

Remus thought it was odd. Shouldn't Will be angry about what had happened instead of teasing?

But Will went on brightly. "Yeah, I heard about that. By the way, I told you Lin was a good girl, didn't I?"

Remus looked at the wand on his knees, ashamed.

"Yeah, well, like I said before, you're lucky you didn't pressure her. But that's part of the reason I say that's a lot of waffle. Why dump her for something like that, when apparently you'd never really pressed it before? No, I don't think that has anything to do with you breaking up with her."

Remus looked up. "You don't?"

"Nah," Will said shaking his head slowly. "It doesn't fit your profile, mate."

Remus blinked. "My profile?"

Will gave him a canny look. "You didn't think I'd let Lin get mixed up with some bloke without learning something about him, did you? Investigation's what I do, you know?"

"You've been investigating me?" Remus said, trying to sound merely curious and not as if he had something to hide.

"Of course. Didn't I make myself plain that I intended to protect her?"

"Yes, but…"

"In case you missed the clues, Lin is very special to me. I love her like a little sister. For all intents and purposes, she _is_ my little sister and she's already been hurt enough in her life. So when it became clear that she was serious about you, I did a little sniffing around." He'd taken on a much more serious demeanor, though Remus noted that he still didn't sound angry.

"And?" Remus asked, nerves beginning to rattle.

"The general consensus is that you're a terrific bloke," Will said. "A real gentleman: polite, reserved, but with a dry sense of humor, and a bloody wicked mischievous streak." His eyes twinkled in amusement. "That last bit came from Minerva McGonagall, and Frank Longbottom confirmed it."

Remus blinked again, confused. "Frank Longbottom?"

"Yes. Don't you know him?"

"Barely. He left after my third year." Remus hardly knew the man, and found it surprising that Frank remembered him at all.

"Well, he remembers you. He was telling us some tales about you and your mates and some of the things you got up to. Says he took a fair few points from the lot of you, and could have taken plenty more, but he liked you. I have to admit, I think we might have been friends if I'd been at school with you lot. Sounds like you've had quite a lot of fun." Will gave a genuinely friendly grin, confusing Remus even more.

Why was he being so friendly when he was confronting Remus about breaking his cousin's heart? And when had he talked to McGonagall and Frank Longbottom?

"When did they tell you all this?" Remus asked.

"A few weeks ago."

"How did you come to ask them about me? Weren't they suspicious?" He found it hard to believe that Professor McGonagall would give out information about one of her students to a perfect stranger.

"No. It just came up in conversation. I told them you were dating my cousin, and they started talking." He shrugged.

"How do you know Professor McGonagall?" Remus asked. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something felt suspicious.

"Dumbledore introduced us."

"How do you know Dumbledore?"

A glimmer of something shown in Will's eyes, but it vanished quickly. "Everyone knows Dumbledore."

Remus got the distinct impression Will was hiding something, but before he could even guess what, Will had said, "And Dumbledore knows _you_." He said it as if it were almost an accusation.

_Strange…_ "Of course he does," Remus answered. "He's headmaster of my school."

"And he made you a prefect. Impressive…Obviously Dumbledore thinks highly of you. He said as much. He was also disappointed to hear you'd broken up with Lin."

_More suspicious_…Will had obviously seen Dumbledore on more than one occasion. Surely it hadn't been to discuss Remus dating his cousin. Dumbledore wouldn't participate in that, would he? But Remus remembered the Occlumency lessons—the things Dumbledore had seen…

Remus didn't want to play this game, or whatever Will meant to do, any more. "I don't mean to seem rude, but my mum and dad are expecting me. Mum will worry that I've apparated into a Death Eater meeting or something. I really need to get going, so, if you don't mind, could you tell me what it is you want from me?"

"Fair enough," Will said, not seeming offended at Remus' directness. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees, fingers woven together, looking serious. "Here's the deal, Lupin. I know about you."

Remus' stomach gave a slight lurch. "You know _what_ about me?"

Will smiled rather slyly. "Now, I thought you wanted to cut to the chase."

"Cut to it, then," Remus said, that trapped feeling closing in around him.

"I know you're a werewolf."

Remus' stomach lurched into his throat. But Will pressed on.

"I think that's why you dumped Lin. I think you read about that poor sheila who got herself sapped and feathered and don't want that to happen to Lin, because I think you actually love her. How am I doing so far?"

Remus could hardly breath, much less speak. He swallowed to keep himself from being sick. Then, seeing no reason to deny it, as Will seemed quite sure of his information, he nodded.

Will nodded too. "_That_ fits your profile…" He reclined back in his chair again.

But Remus didn't relax. He felt ill. What was Will going to do with him now? He was a member of the Werewolf Capture Unit, for Merlin's sake.

"Are you going to turn me in?" Remus asked as steadily as he could.

Will looked at him intently. "Not as long as you keep protecting Lin. I like you, Lupin. From all I can gather, you're a genuinely decent bloke. I'm sorry things are the way they are. If things were different, I actually think I'd be happy with you dating her—so long as you knocked off the Firewhiskey." He smirked, apparently trying for a bit of levity, but it didn't really work. This was far too intense a moment. These were not joking matters. While Remus was immeasurably relieved that Will was not going to turn him in, his heart was also being crushed a little more by the other things Will was saying.

Will took a long breath and glanced around at the trees, thinking. "But unfortunately," he said heavily, looking Remus back in the eyes, "I only see things getting worse for you, to be perfectly honest. I'm working on a couple of cases that probably aren't going to do werewolves any favors as far as getting along with the rest of wizardkind goes."

"Are you talking about Fenrir Greyback?" Remus asked, his curiosity helping to divert his attention from his heartache.

"That's one. I'm very close to getting enough evidence to put him away, along with a number of his—_pack,_ for a very long time. I have a witness nearly ready to testify."

Remus liked to hear that, even if it did stir up bad feelings against werewolves for a time. It wasn't as if feelings were ever particularly good, and if it put that monster off the streets, Remus could live with it. But that was just one. "Is the other case the one with the Randolph couple?"

"That's pretty good, Lupin." Will looked impressed. "Yes, it is."

"Did he do it?" Remus asked, anxiously. He had been so hopeful that Randolph had been telling the truth about being set up, but if this case would bring more animosity from normal wizards, the man—the werewolf—must be guilty.

"No," said Will firmly. "He was set up. I'm convinced of it, but we still can't quite prove it beyond a shadow of doubt. Never mind that we're supposed to have to prove him _guilty_, not innocent beyond a reasonable doubt. Unfortunately, even though he should be innocent until proven guilty, like anyone else, because he's a werewolf, he isn't really getting a fair shake." Will looked disgusted. "But both his and the Greyback case have stirred up something of a hornets' nest. The thing is, we've uncovered possible links to a number of people we suspect of being rather high level Death Eaters."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you that, mate. Ongoing investigation and all. I don't want to be guilty of false accusations."

"I understand. I'm sorry."

"No worries. But what I can tell you is this. It's bad enough when we have werewolves like Greyback attacking people for annoying them, but when we have reason to believe they're working alongside Voldemort, _in large numbers_… Well, it isn't going to give people warm, fuzzy feelings for the werewolf community, if you know what I mean."

Remus smirked. Of course he knew.

"Yeah," said Will, acknowledging the smirk. "One of my supervisors has already had a meeting trying to convince the boss that we need to have the Minister for Magic declare a state of emergency, so she can have all known werewolves rounded up and put in a _secure camp_— whether we have any evidence to suggest they're guilty of anything or not. What the miserable crone really wants is to have them put down by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, but even she won't go so far as to admit _that_. Not yet anyway…" Will stopped talking and looked grim.

Remus felt numb. "Why are you telling me all this? What do you want from me?"

No more wise-cracking or any semblance of humor whatsoever came from the man sitting across from him. If anything, Will now seemed almost embarrassed to look Remus in the eye, but he forced himself. "I want you to keep doing what you're doing. Stay away from Lin."

It wasn't a demand so much as a desperate plea. There was no animosity toward Remus in it, only love for his cousin. There was even the hint of an apology. After all he'd obviously seen of the werewolf community, it was a testament to the man's character that he held no animosity towards Remus.

And it was like a dagger in Remus' heart, though he did not resent the man for it at all. "That is my intention," Remus said resolutely, through a tightening in his throat.

Will nodded soberly. "Thank you."

Just then, a dove let out a mournful call from the tree overhead. Remus was reminded of the beautiful comforting song of Dumbledore's phoenix. What a completely opposite effect the baleful hoot of the dove had. A cruel stinging started in his eyes. He wanted—_needed_—to get home.

"Is that all you wanted?" he asked.

Will nodded again and Remus pushed himself up out of the chair to leave, but Will said, "_For now_…Dumbledore won't let me recruit students."

Remus turned to him sharply, the stinging in his eyes subsiding. Another mischievous glint shown in Will's, and Remus was reminded of the things Lindi had told him about her favorite cousin. He also remembered something Emmeline Vance had mentioned.

"You work for Dumbledore," he said, intrigued. It was a statement, not a question.

"I didn't say that," Will answered, the glint shining more brightly. "I work for the Ministry. Ask them." He smiled like a rogue, reminding Remus a great deal of Sirius. "But don't be surprised if I show up again after you leave Hogwarts. I'll try not to sneak up on you next time, though."

"I'd appreciate that," Remus said, and he wasn't talking about the sneaking. He was mightily intrigued by Will's suggestion, and not just a little flattered. Remus needed that, just now. It was possibly something to look forward to.

The roguish smile faded on Will's face. "You're a good man, Lupin. I know letting Lin go must be sheer torture. I really do wish things were different. Maybe someday…" He seemed completely sincere, if not very confident. It meant a great deal to Remus, none the less.

The lump forming in his throat told Remus he really needed to get going. Besides, Mum really would think he'd been waylaid by Death Eaters. "Maybe," he said with equal lack of confidence.

Will nodded. "She's too bloody young now, anyway. Maybe when she's old enough, things _will_ be different."

But Remus knew he didn't believe that. Will had seen too much of the ugly side of the werewolf community to believe it. There was no use pretending. "I really do need to go."

"Right."

Both men had become rather awkward with the moving sentiments. Will stuck his hand out. "I'm glad we had this little chat."

Shaking his hand, Remus answered, "Me, too."

And he was. Finally, the air was cleared and he didn't have to dread the hexing he still probably deserved from cousin Will any longer. "I really am sorry I hurt her. If I could take it all back, I would."

"I know. That's why I didn't hex your knackers off when we first got here."

The two men smiled, understanding one another, and then Remus turned on the spot and vanished in a crack.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks as always to my beta, MaraudersWolf. I'd also like to thank Annalise28 for checking my/Will's Aussie slang. :) _


	59. Careening Towards the Edge

**Chapter 59 Careening Toward the Edge**

_**A/N: **I would like to welcome a wonderful new beta to MoB. MaraudersWolf was attacked by real life and Colores has generously agreed to take on the story. Thank you, Colores. I really appreciate it. And you can all thank kehribar for helping me find her, so you don't have to suffer my awkward sentences. ;)_

* * *

Just as Remus had known she would be, Rena Lupin was waiting on pins and needles when he walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. He wondered, not for the first time, if she would ever stop worrying about him. He knew the answer, of course, and was simultaneously grateful and mildly annoyed by it.

Over the coming days, he would be even more annoyed by her worrying over him, and how he was coping with his breakup with Lindi. Having explained the situation in a letter from school, he'd been able to avoid revealing the actual emotional toll it had taken on him. He had also been able to avoid having to answer Mum's questions, which no doubt would have resulted in him losing control of his emotions. Writing about the breakup in a letter had been difficult enough. He really didn't want to discuss it. He definitely didn't want to sit there while his mum told him it was _all for the best_.

He knew that already; hadn't that been why he'd broken up with Lindi in the first place? Regardless, he didn't want to hear it, not even from his mum.

He also didn't want to see the relief in her face, though he knew she would try to hide it. He couldn't help believing that she was probably a little relieved by the breakup. She had made no secret of her misgivings about the seriousness of the relationship from the start.

Still, Remus knew his mother wanted him to be happy. So her searching glances and not so subtle attempts to pry for information were merely reminders of how much she cared and worried about him, but they quickly became stifling.

"I'm _fine_, Mum, really!" he'd finally snapped at her. "I won't pretend I'm happy about it, but I'll survive. Please stop hovering over me like a suicide watch!"

Of course, he felt guilty and rather childish after he'd stomped up the stairs and dropped on his bed like a sullen adolescent. Thankfully, Dad was there to be the voice of reason, as usual.

Remus could not resist the urge to turn up the volume on the conversation he could hear mumbled through the vent pipe. It was about _him_, after all, and so he leaned over, took the wand from his desk and tapped the pipe quietly.

"…on his own, Rena," Dad's voice came through in that firm but gentle tone he used with his wife when trying to get her to see reason.

"I know he's not a child," his mother argued. "But at the same time, he'll always be mine. He's suffering and I can't bear it, not when he already suffers so much. I want to help him!"

"I know you do, but you can't help him with this. Making him talk about his feelings isn't go to make him feel better. He's a _man_, Rena, and he's trying very hard to act one. Don't test his limits."

"What do you mean? I'm not testing him!"

"Yes, you are. Every time you bring it up." Dad's tone was imploring now.

"How is that testing him?"

Dad sighed, and then said in his strong, calm way, "He doesn't want to cry in front of his mum, Rena. Leave him be."

His father knew him so well.

"But he seems so sad…" Mum tried to argue weakly.

"He_ is_ sad. That's to be expected. He'll talk about it when _and if_ he's ready. If he starts acting oddly or withdrawn, you can pester him. Trust me; I'll help. But it's already been more than two months. He's obviously handling it, so leave him be."

"Yes, but…"

"_Leave him be, _Rena."

Remus let out a low, long breath. _Thanks, Dad…. _He tapped the pipe and sat listening to the silence for some time.

Things were less strained after that. While he still caught his mum glancing at him, probably searching for telltale signs of severe depression, she'd taken Dad's advice and stopped trying to get him to talk it out. At least now he didn't have to duck out of a room if she came in and caught him alone, which was good. He liked spending time with her. He always had. For his part, he tried very hard to keep his spirits up, so she wouldn't have reason to worry. Some days it was easier than others.

His spirits couldn't help but be lifted when Dad informed him they would be spending the night in Diagon Alley the next week.

"I need to get a few things and an old friend and colleague from my days at the Ministry is going to be in town," Dad said, looking rather happy about the trip himself. "He's been everywhere, studying various local beasts. He's been in Chile the last two years, studying the Chupacabra. He's brought back a couple of eggs. They're due to hatch any day. I'd love to get a look and thought you might like to see them, too."

"I'd love to. What's a Chupacabra?" Remus answered.

"It's a vampirish creature that sucks the blood of mammals. Looks rather like a cross between a large lizard and a bird, with porcupine quills down its back."

"Sounds lovely," Remus said, smiling at the enthusiasm in his dad's voice and face. The man was almost as fascinated by creatures as the school gamekeeper, Hagrid, though Dad had a healthier appreciation for the danger many of them posed.

"It should be _very_ interesting," Dad said brightly. "But I also thought you might like to invite James, Sirius, and Peter to meet you, too. You lot can do something while Jeff and I catch up. Unless, of course, you'd rather hang around listening to a couple of ol' codgers talk about people and things you know nothing about?"

Remus spirits rose higher. "As appealing as that sounds, I wouldn't want to impose," he said, breaking into a grin. "I'll send an owl and see if they can come."

"Tell them we have a room at the Leaky Cauldron for Friday, next. They're welcome to conjure cots."

As soon as he'd finished his breakfast, Remus rushed to his room and composed the letters to his friends, sending Henrietta off as soon as possible. She returned that evening with a reply from Sirius.

_Moony,_

_Terrific! You can see my new toy. I might even take you for a ride on it. Oh, and Prongs says he'll be there, too. _

_See you at the Leaky Cauldron, Friday at noon. _

_Padfoot _

_Ride on a new toy_…what was Sirius up to now? Remus smiled to himself and looked forward to the visit even more.

Peter's reply arrived early the next morning.

_Moony,_

_Thank goodness you invited me. Mum is driving me barmy. She'll hardly let me out of her sight._ _You'd think I was two. She didn't want to let me come, but I threw a wobbler a two-year-old would have been proud of. I've had it. If she's going to treat me like I'm two, I'll act it! Besides, Dad said it would be good for me to get out of the house. See you Friday._

_Peter_

They were on.

The morning of the visit to London broke mild and breezy, with a pale sun trying to burn its way through a thin layer of clouds. Remus hoped the weather in town would be as fine. Of course, it could be a full blown gale and he'd enjoy just getting together with his friends. Mum fixed a full breakfast and walked outdoors to see them off.

"Be careful, both of you," she said.

"You, too," said Dad. "Don't forget to cast an alarm when we leave."

"I won't."

They hugged and kissed each other goodbye. Then she turned to Remus. "Stay out of trouble," she said, and Remus thought her smile looked forced. "And have fun."

"I will. Don't worry, Mum. See you tomorrow night."

They took the trip in two legs, since Remus had never Apparated so far, and finally arrived in the courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. They checked into their room, stowed their belongings, and went down to the pub. Jeffrey Helms was waiting for them at a table in the corner by a window overlooking the street of Muggle London. Introductions were made and then they proceeded to a shop down Diagon Alley called Galloping Gamekeepers. Inside were all sorts of things needed for tending livestock and other animals, including cages, coops, harnesses, whips, protective wear to shield from anything from bee stings to dragon breath… They passed through to a back room where one of the larger cages contained two scrawny, hairless, spiked and fanged creatures. The recently hatched Chupacabras looked up and hissed, baring their fangs as the three men entered, but quickly went back to the two dead rats lying in the middle of the cage.

Dad was fascinated and had what seemed a million questions. After a while, Remus realized he would have to leave before they were finished discussing the creatures and felt sure he would not be missed. He thanked Mr. Helms, and told his father he'd be going.

"Tell the lads hello for me," said Dad. "And I'll see them in the morning, since I doubt you lot will be in before I've gone to bed."

"Not if James or Sirius has anything to say about it," said Remus.

"Well, have fun, but watch yourselves." Dad left the warning there. He knew he didn't need to say more.

Remus had been keeping up with the news.

Just the day before, _The Daily Prophet_ had posted the news of a man who had simply vanished from his own home. The report had offered few details, so Remus had to wonder if the man had got himself into some sort of trouble with the Ministry and run, or if he was the victim of another Death Eater attack. All the article revealed was that the man's older brother claimed he was there one minute, and in the time it had taken to go to the kitchen and make a sandwich, the younger brother had vanished. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was looking for anyone with information.

These disappearances were becoming more common and added to the tension that was palpable in the streets and shops as Remus made his way back towards the Leaky Cauldron. Things were becoming frantic.

A boy of about six was looking at a bin of noisemakers marked clearance outside of Gambol and Japes when he must have dropped one, causing it to pop with a loud report. Normally, anyone nearby would have been momentarily startled and then laughed as the boy's mother told him off, but there were few such mild responses. One woman screamed and her two companions dived into the Magical Menagerie, knocking over a sales clerk carrying an aquarium of frog spawn, which he dropped. It shattered, flooding the spawn over the floor before it streamed out into the street. Two elderly wizards drew their wands and one accidentally hexed the boy's older brother, nearly bringing on a duel with the father of the unfortunate boy. All over a dropped noisemaker…

It was all due to fraying nerves brought on by the terror of the Death Eaters.

Remus helped clear up and salvage as much of the frog spawn as he could. All the while the child's mother threatened to never let him out of the house again, even though the whole incident had been a minor accident and had already brought him to tears. Remus gave him a small sympathetic smile as he walked on. It occurred to him that, if this horror didn't end soon, the poor boy would lose much of his chance for childhood joy and innocence.

It was a horribly depressing thought. Would children today know the carefree fun Remus and his friends had shared as boys, only a few short years ago? He thought it unlikely, considering the way mums were fussing over their children as they wandered in and out of the shops, not letting them out of sight long enough to cross the street to have a peek at the newest Quidditch bats or brooms in Quality Quidditch Supplies' windows.

Remus thought about that morning on the way to Galloping Gamekeepers, when one poor girl had made just that mistake. She had received an earful from her very frightened and angry mum.

"Don't you ever run off like that again! It's dangerous! Don't you know someone could snatch you up and…?" She'd grabbed the stunned child into a nearly hysterical hug.

Thinking about it all, Remus found his mood becoming very melancholy. He picked up his pace. His mates would cheer him up.

As he hurried on, he came upon a couple of well-dressed women standing on the sidewalk looking at something in a window. Instinctively glancing up to see what was so interesting, he felt the breath catch in his chest and he froze in his tracks. He'd come face to face with Lindi—or at least, her picture. It was a life-sized poster hanging in the window of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He stood there, staring, not noticing the women chuckling when they saw him or even that they turned and walked into the shop. He hadn't seen Lindi in weeks. Well, other than the picture he had of the two of them at the ball, which he looked at several times every day. Or that poster Peter had given him for his birthday. But he hadn't seen her in person, or even life-sized…

And there she was, modeling a very glamorous summer robe and matching wide brimmed hat, trimmed in ivory feathers. Her dark eyes peeking from under the soft brim and her full, rather pouty lips distracted from the elegance of the clothes and replaced it with a steamy seductiveness that Lindi couldn't seem to suppress.

But there was also a sadness in her eyes. The photograph Lindi twirled around, showing off the flowing skirt, but never once smiled.

Remus regretted the tiny glimmer of happiness—no, it was _relief_—it brought him, to think that she was not yet over him, either.

Of course, maybe it was simply the attitude that the photographer had wanted, that dark, pouty, sultriness. It _was _very appealing. Maybe she was just doing it for effect…

"_Ahem_…" A soft clearing of a throat startled him. "Madam Malkin will get her hopes up that you're planning to come in and buy those robes if you keep staring at that ad." Lily smiled kindly.

"As if I could ever afford them," Remus answered, feeling his cheeks go warm. He hated being caught staring at Lindi, but at least Lily knew the story and would not torment him over it.

"You really can't!" she said brightly. "I've already checked. They're outrageous!"

The two friends chuckled and Lily gave him a hug. "How are you, Remus?"

"I'm fine," he lied, for at the moment all he wanted to do was take that poster and find a hole someplace where he could stare at it for the rest of his life. "How are _you_? What are you doing here?"

"I'm well enough, thanks. I've been working on some potions and I needed some things for my stores," Lily said, lifting a brown bag from Slug and Jigger's Apothecary. "Now I'm of age, I can actually work on some things over the summer, thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd be bored senseless. Besides, it was a good excuse to come into Diagon Alley to meet Celia. She's coming into Muggle London with me later to see a movie. She's never seen one. What about you? Do you want to come with us?"

"That sounds like fun, but I'm on my way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet James, Peter, and Sirius. I'm not sure if they have anything planned for later or not."

"Oh…They could come, too, if they want," Lily said. "So long as they don't disrupt the show. Honestly, I'm just so happy to see people from the wizarding world, I'm even looking forward to seeing them!"

Remus smiled. "Haven't you seen anyone over the holidays?"

"Not really. With everything that's going on, no one's been able to come to my house, and no one has invited me to theirs." Her face settled into a small frown. "I think some of my friends' mums and dads might not want a Muggle-born coming to visit these days."

"Oh…" Remus said awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

Lily shrugged. "I can't really blame them, what with the Muggle-hating lunatics running around wreaking havoc. Actually, _you_ might not want to be seen with me, either."

Remus was fairly certain that she was kidding, but just in case, he gave her a reproving smirk. "Remember who you are talking to. _I _can out outcast _any _outcast, as you know."

Lily smiled warmly and took his arm. "Well, we outcasts need to stick together. Walk with me to the Leaky Cauldron. I'm meeting Celia there, too."

"My pleasure," he said, happy for the company. With one last glance at the poster of Lindi, he walked on. "So, Celia's not afraid?"

Lily made an incredulous face. "Celia? Afraid? Ha! You know Celia. Unfortunately, her mum hasn't wanted her to visit. Not just _me_," she added quickly. "She hasn't wanted her to go _anywhere_ alone. I can hardly blame her. The woman who went missing last week was Mrs. Keller's second cousin once removed, or something like that. But it's still driving Celia barmy. She finally pulled the age card and told her mum she was coming to Diagon Alley _alone_, or she'd move out."

"Really?"

"Well, she really threatened her mum, but she wouldn't really move out." Lily grinned.

"I think it's going around. Peter's mum is smothering him, too. My _own_ mum is struggling with it. What about your parents?" Remus asked. "Don't they worry?"

"They don't know enough _to_ worry," Lily said. "I'm not about to tell them what's going on. They'd probably forbid me going back to Hogwarts."

Lily proceeded to inform Remus that they'd have to have someone cast a full body bind on her and keep her in a locked cage to keep her away, as they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

Remus held the door for her.

"There you are," Celia said, as Lily walked through. She had been waiting at the bar. "I thought I'd been stood up." When Remus came inside, she smiled broadly. "Well, look who the cat dragged in." She slipped off of the stool and came towards them, giving first Lily, and then Remus a hug.

Celia had always been friendly, and so Remus thought nothing of the hug, even after the _incident_ in the Hog's Head last year. It didn't make him uncomfortable, even when the door chimed upon someone's entry. Nor did he feel the need to pull his hand away when Celia took it to lead him and Lily to a table. Only when he turned around and came face to face with the people who had entered did he feel the least bit ill at ease. Actually, ill at ease was an understatement. He was stunned completely senseless.

"Lindi!" cried Lily in happy surprise.

But Lindi didn't answer. She stood, staring at Remus, first at his face, and then she glanced down at his hand, grasped in Celia's. Her eyes cut back and forth between Remus and the girl Lindi had once caught him snogging.

_Oh, no…not again…_thought Remus, horrified.

Lindi's jaw muscles knotted, but couldn't stop her lip from beginning to quiver. Her eyes grew misty. Without a word, she walked briskly to the door leading up to the boarding rooms and vanished up the stairs.

It was all Remus could do to stop himself running after her, but Will Chambers gawking at him helped him to muster the restraint.

"Bloody effing hell, Lupin," Will said, shaking his head in exasperation. "Come on, Dor," he said to the woman next to him. "Lin doesn't have a key. She doesn't even know what room you're in." He and the woman walked by, Will still shaking his head, and went upstairs.

Only after they were gone did Remus think to extract his hand from Celia's. She looked as if she was going to say something when a loud rumbling noise distracted them all. It grew to the point that the windows in the ancient pub rattled, and then suddenly stopped.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

Her question was answered when the door from Diagon Alley burst open and James Potter strode in, running his hands through his wilder than usual hair. Sirius came right behind him, his own hair very windswept. He brushed it back suavely and smiled.

James' face lit up with a huge grin when he caught sight of Lily, but he recovered his cool quickly enough that Remus wasn't sure Lily had even noticed. "Hullo, Evans," he said casually. "Keller…what are you two doing here?"

"Getting out of the house, mainly," said Lily. "Doing a bit of shopping as the excuse."

"Cool," said James. "How long are you in town?"

"I have to be home by midnight, or I turn into a pumpkin," she said.

James' eyes twinkled happily.

"Lily's taking me to a _movie,_" said Celia. "She's talked about them all these years we've been friends, and never once taken me to one."

"I've never seen one, either," said James. "Have you, Padfoot?"

Even with his mind elsewhere, Remus could see where this was going.

"Can't say that I have," said Sirius. "Moony?"

"A couple. My grandmother took me to some movie cartoons when I was small," Remus said, trying to focus on the conversation, but it was proving difficult. Lindi had just run out of the room, obviously upset, thinking he was there with Celia. _Crap! _This trip was supposed to help him get over his loneliness for her.

"Well, were they any good?" asked Sirius.

"What? Oh, yes. At least I remember them being good," Remus answered.

"This new one is quite good," said Lily. "If you want, you all could come with us."

"You've seen it already?" asked James. Lily nodded.

"I don't know; I thought we were going to do something else, but…" James said, very nonchalant. He was faking, of course. "Movies sound cool, from what people say. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing something of Muggle culture. What do you think, Padfoot?"

"Might be good to see what's so awful about it," agreed Sirius, sarcasm dripping.

Peter showed up just then, and the vote was cast to join the girls, as if anyone would have voted against it. They knew James would have hexed them into the next age if they'd come between him and a chance to spend time with Lily. They had lunch and then went out into Diagon Alley, strolling in and out of shops, admiring this, making fun of that.

In the back of his mind, Remus knew this was quite fun, but it was the thing in the front of his mind that kept getting in the way.

"What's the matter, Moony?" asked Peter, falling to the back of the group with Remus. "Don't you feel well?" He had the good sense to keep his voice down, even though the others had turned into a shop just ahead.

"I'm fine," said Remus.

Peter looked unconvinced. Remus quickly told him about running into Lindi and the part with Celia.

"Merlin's wrinkled old butt, Moony," Peter said, shaking his head much as Will Chambers had. "You do have rotten luck, sometimes."

"I know," said Remus, dismally. "But I don't want to ruin the trip. At least James has some decent luck, eh?" He said to change the subject.

"Tell me about it!" said Peter, as if he couldn't believe anyone could be so fortunate. "I've never seen anything like it. The jammy bastard!"

Remus had to smile. "Come on; let's go see what's going on."

Through considerable effort, Remus actually had a mildly pleasant time. He reminded himself that hanging out with his friends was considerably better than moping in his room, though a fairly large part of him wanted to do just that.

Even the excursion into Muggle London couldn't distract him completely, though he did actually enjoy the movie. He couldn't help thinking the villain, Darth Vader, while definitely evil and scary enough to be getting on with, couldn't hold a light saber to Voldemort.

"He's much cooler than Voldemort," said Sirius as they discussed the movie later over ice cream.

"How do you know? You've never seen Voldemort," said Lily. "Have you?"

"No, but I'd bet a sack of Galleons that he is," said Sirius.

"That blob, Jabba the Hut, is cooler than Voldemort," said James.

Lily slapped him on the arm as she nearly choked on a bite of cone. James looked very pleased.

As they were finishing up their treats, the door opened, letting in the honking of cars and other noises of the busy Muggle street outside. Sirius, who was facing the door, sat up stiffly, his hand slipping under the table, and Remus knew he was reaching for his wand. Remus did the same, and soon, James noticed and followed the lead, though none raised them above the table just yet. Remus and James looked around. Three people, dressed very strangely walked in. Remus' first thought was Death Eaters, for they looked very dark and sinister.

"What in blazes is that?" James asked under his breath to Lily.

"Don't worry. You can let go of your wands," she said, starting to grin. "They're just punks."

"What is that? Why are they dressed that way?" Peter asked, looking aghast.

Lily gave a quick overview of the current Muggle fad known as Punk, but now that the prospect of danger had passed, Remus' mind was wandering. He was getting tired, for one thing. For another, he didn't find the fashion statements of the punks to be as interesting as the movie had been, and now, his thoughts went to Lindi, back in the Leaky Cauldron. He wondered what she was doing. Would she be in the pub? He checked his watch. _9:15…_ It was possible. Part of him wanted to hurry back, so he could see her—and she could see him, _without Celia_. The other part of him didn't want to give her some sort of false hope, and he didn't want to have to pretend he didn't still love her.

There was no reason for him to go see her, aside from his selfish desire.

_It's best if you don't. It just stirs up your feelings and hers,_ he told himself.

So he agreed to join his friends in an excursion to explore this Punk Rock phenomenon. They went to a Muggle club, but didn't stay long. Though they had fun transforming their clothes into Punk styles, the music was loud and jarring, giving them all a headache. Remus felt especially miserable. The full moon was only a few days off, on top of everything else.

"There's a dance club a few blocks over," said Lily as they walked back onto the sidewalk.

"Isn't that what we just left?" asked Sirius.

"Different sort of dancing," said Lily. "And we'll need to change our clothes."

Remus took the opportunity to bow out. "I think I'm just going to call it a night and head back to the Leaky Cauldron," he said.

"What?" said Sirius.

"Why?" asked Peter.

"It's not that late," argued Celia.

"I know," Remus said. "But Dad and I left very early this morning. I'm exhausted. Besides, I'm an awful dancer." He forced a smile, but felt even more miserable remembering the dance instruction Lindi had given him.

"Your mum will have a kelpie if she finds out you went back on your own, this time of night," said James. "Do you want us to go with you?"

"Someone better. If Death Eaters snatched you, your mum would kill us, and we'd never get her yummy French Kisses again," said Sirius.

"Thank you for caring, but I think I'll be fine," said Remus. "I'm just going to Apparate directly to the door. It isn't that late. There should be plenty of people around."

"That's what worries me," said Lily. "Who knows what sort of people they'd be? I'd feel much better if we were sure you made it inside."

"You and I could Apparate with him and meet everyone else afterwards," James offered.

Almost as though from habit, Lily smirked suspiciously, but seemed to decide there was nothing to be suspicious about. "Let's do that. I'll enjoy myself much more if I see you safely inside, Remus. Safety in numbers…"

So, James and Lily saw Remus to the courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius' large motorbike was still parked in the dark corner, its handlebars glinting in the lantern light. When Remus told Lily goodnight and thanked her for the escort back, he figured he owed her for saving him having to ride on that Muggle contraption, too. At least for a while… Sirius had intended taking him and Peter for rides, but when Lily and Celia had turned up, it had changed their plans.

_Thank goodness…._

He waved to them from the door and watched as they spun on their heels and vanished. A quiet hum came from the pub. Business was slow for a Friday. Psychotic madmen on the loose were obviously bad for business. Remus stepped inside and looked around for his father, not expecting him to be up. Dad was an early to bed, early to rise sort of fellow. Remus knew he should get some sleep as well, but while tired, he wasn't particularly _sleepy _and he didn't want to lie in bed, tossing and turning, thinking about Lindi for hours. He decided to get a butterbeer and see if one of the private meeting rooms was open, so he could be alone. He peeked into the first room and spotted who he thought was the young woman who'd been with Lindi and her cousin. It looked like her, though her sandy hair had been in a loose knot earlier, and was now hanging in waves on her shoulders. Of course, Remus was pretty sure he recognized the back of the dark head sticking up over the chair across from her. She looked up at Remus.

He pulled his head back and stepped away from the door, but hesitated. He would have liked to explain the situation with Celia, or rather that there _was no_ situation, but he didn't want to interrupt what seemed to be a date.

However, the decision was made for him.

"Lupin?" Will's voice called.

Remus heard a chair scraping the floor. If he was going to get away, he'd better hurry. But he didn't.

"Hello," he said as Will stuck his head through the door.

"G'day." Will gave a nod. "What are you doing back? Where's your girlfriend?" he asked, needling.

Remus stopped his eyes rolling in annoyance, but just barely. "She isn't my girlfriend. We had just run into each other. It was just very poor timing."

Will nodded understanding. "You have crappy luck, Lupin." He offered his hand. "But it's still nice to see you. Come in and join us."

"Thank you, but I don't want to interrupt," Remus answered, shaking hands firmly, relieved to have so easily explained the mess.

"No worries. Dor won't mind. I'm just boring her with stories from work, aren't I, Dor?"

"Stories I'm not allowed to print, no less," the woman said, pouting teasingly. "Come and join us."

While he'd thought he wanted to be alone, Remus couldn't help but hope Will might have some news that would be of interest about his cases with Greyback, werewolves, etc… And of course, he would have news of Lindi.

"If you're sure you don't mind," Remus said.

"Positive," the woman answered.

"Remus Lupin," Will began the introductions. "This is Dorcas Meadows. Dor—Remus Lupin."

For a split second, Remus regretted accepting the invitation. This woman was an investigative reporter for _The Daily Prophet_, their absolute best, from the articles he'd read. If she found out about him—or even had an inkling of suspicion, the fact that he was a werewolf could be all over Britain by morning.

But she smiled warmly and offered him a hand in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, Remus. Will's told me about you."

"Really?" Remus said rather nervously, wondering how much she'd been told. Will only smiled and Remus couldn't very well ask without exposing his own secret. "It's nice to meet _you_. I admire your work in _The Daily Prophet_."

"Thank you. I wish my editors felt the same way." She smiled.

"They don't approve of your writing?" Remus asked, surprised.

"They don't approve of some of my subject matter. They think it's dangerous to discuss some things." She took a sip of wine.

"Even if it's the truth?" Remus asked.

"_Especially_ if it's the truth!" she said.

"They've received some very thinly veiled threats," Will added.

"That's no reason to bury the truth!" said Dorcas, passionately.

Will smiled proudly. "That's my sheila."

Remus felt like he had, in fact, intruded, but Tom, the bartender came skittering in. "Can I get anything for you, miss, gentlemen?"

"What are you having, Lupin? On me," said Will.

"Mine's full, but thank you."

Dorcas ordered another wine and Will was having Firewhisky. When Tom went to pour their drinks, Will enquired about Remus' summer, asked why he was in London, and the general pleasantries.

Remus answered, trying to sound casual and not rush through to the question he was dying to ask, but finally, rather abruptly, he blurted, "How is Lindi?"

A flicker of pity flashed across Will's face. He turned to Dorcas, who glanced down and sat her wine glass on the table, betraying nothing. Remus wondered again what this woman knew of him. She surely knew about Remus hurting Lindi, yet she was being very civil to him. Will must have explained.

But how much?

_Gah! _Remus hated always wondering and hiding, walking on eggshells with the truth.

"She's sleeping," Dorcas finally said. "She's exhausted. Emotionally drained."

Remus felt his shoulders sag under the guilt.

"It's not all your fault," said Will.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"There's a lot going on," said Will. "For one thing, she's going abroad, and she doesn't really want to."

"Why? Where is she going?"

Will and Dorcas looked at each other.

"I think she'll be safer out of the country," Will said.

The little hairs on the back of Remus' neck prickled. Something was wrong.

"What do you mean?" He hoped it was the general danger that everyone was in, due to the Death Eaters and nothing specific to Lindi, but the hair was still prickling.

"This is all in very strict confidence, Lupin," Will said, firmly.

"You know I'm not going to say anything," said Remus.

Will nodded. "Some of my cases have hit a snag. The brother of my star witness was abducted. You probably read about it in the paper yesterday."

"Was it the man who disappeared while his brother was making a sandwich?" asked Remus.

Will nodded. "We can't find him and the witness is scared senseless. We're sure Greyback or some of his thugs are behind it. They've sent threatening messages, anonymously of course."

Normally, any news of Greyback would have been fascinating to Remus, but he had more pressing questions at the moment.

"What does all this have to do with Lindi going abroad?"

"_I've_ received threats, too," Will said pointedly.

"About Lindi?" Remus could hear the panic in his own voice.

"Not specifically. Just warnings to stop sticking my nose where they think it doesn't belong_, or else_."

"If it's Greyback," Remus warned urgently, "he doesn't go after people directly. He goes after the ones they love!"

"I know," Will said. "I've learned enough to have figured that out. That's why Lindi's going away."

For an instant, Remus felt a sick longing at the thought of her going away, but he knew it was for the best. Her safety was the most important thing. Besides, he reminded himself that he'd already pushed her farther away than Will could ever send her. Geographic distance was easy to bridge, compared to the emotional chasm Remus had left between Lindi and himself. Why did it even matter where she was? She was in the same building right now, and she might as well be a million miles away.

But it _did_ matter.

"Where is she going?"

Will hesitated and looked around, seeming almost paranoid.

_He loves her almost as much as I do,_ Remus thought.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not saying," Will answered. "It isn't that I don't trust you, but—I don't trust anyone. Nothing personal, mate."

Remus didn't like it, though he understood. "Then when is she coming back?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer. _Again, why does it matter? What difference does it make to you?_ he asked himself. But it _did._

"Hopefully, this will all be settled and she'll be back soon," said Will. "If not, she'll go straight back to Hogwarts when school starts up. I think she'll be safe with Dumbledore."

As irrational as he knew it was, relief washed over Remus. She was coming back.

_But not to you_, he reminded himself bitterly.

"And she'll be safe wherever you're sending her now?" he asked, to sooth the growing ache.

"She better be, or there'll be hell to pay." The dangerous flash in Wills dark eyes said all he needed to say. He was deadly serious.

Remus was about to ask just who would pay, wondering who was going to be watching out for her while she was gone, when the sound of shattering glass and a shriek came from down the hall. A loud commotion erupted from the main pub. Will was the first to the door, Remus on his heels. Remus could think of nothing except that Greyback had come for Lindi, and he needed to protect her. Of course, he didn't know which floor, much less which room she was in, so he followed Will, who stopped at the pub entrance and peeked around the corner. Remus heard familiar voices shouting. James, Sirius, and Peter must have found some trouble.

Lily's voice cried out, "Stop it, Potter!" More shattering glass.

Remus leaned over Will's shoulder to see what was happening, and prepared to go to their aid. Will held him back, assessing the situation. James was in the center of the room, battling a man who looked vaguely familiar. If Remus remembered correctly, he had been in Slytherin when the Marauders had started Hogwarts, leaving their first or second year. After noting the ones surrounding him, Remus was sure of it. Julian Avery, Miles Wilkes, who'd left two years earlier, and Evan Rosier were circling the man. Likewise, Sirius, Peter, Celia, and Lily were surrounding James. Innocent bystanders were ducking under tables.

While the Slytherins were cheering their man on, shouting, "Get'im, Crabbe!" Lily was shouting at James, "Stop! It isn't worth it!"

Of course, James wasn't listening. Sirius had his wand aimed at Avery, who did the same, and Peter had squared off with Rosier, who had his wand lazily at his side, grinning at Peter nastily. Rosier had been in the Dueling Club long enough to know that Peter was no match for him in a fight.

James blocked a spell that ricocheted and blasted a hole in a poster of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team that was posted on the community announcements board. The women in the picture scattered wildly. That had been a dangerous spell, going well beyond Dueling Club level. Tom the barman yelled for them to stop at once and then, to his horror, Remus saw Lindi rushing down the stairs, in nothing but her night gown, looking hysterical.

At the same time, Will stepped into the room and shouted, "Department of Magical Law Enforcement! Lower your wands!"

Crabbe flung a spell at him, narrowly missing and blasting a carafe off a table, splattering Will with red wine.

Lindi screamed, "WILL!" and made a dash to enter the room.

To Remus further horror, Evan Rosier, who was nearest the stairs, grabbed her about the waist, pushing her behind him to shield her from the battle.

Doing _Remus'_ job…_dammit_!

In the distraction, the barman hit Crabbe with a Freezing charm. Will Disarmed James from behind.

"Now, everyone put down their wands!" Will shouted angrily.

Slowly, they all lowered them, and the skirmish was over, but Remus noticed that Rosier was still holding on to Lindi's waist. He didn't like it one bit and thought that if Rosier didn't let her go, there might be another duel starting, but Lindi rushed away from him and grabbed hold of Will. Remus didn't like that very much either, because he knew a time when she would have launched herself at Remus under these circumstances. It hurt to see her do it to someone else, even if it was her cousin.

"What are you doing here, Lin?" Will barked, wrenching her arms away from him.

"I heard the noise," she said, breathless. "I thought it was D-Death Eaters!"

"You're probably right about that," Sirius murmured just quietly enough to pretend he didn't mean to be heard, but knowing, and intending that he would be heard by all.

Avery gave a dark smile. Will looked around, wand raised again to maintain order. Without taking his eyes off the others, he said to Lindi, "All the more reason to stay in your room!" His voice was harsh, but Remus could hear the concern through the anger. "You don't belong down here!"

"I bet she didn't even bring her wand," said Sirius condescendingly.

"But she adds so much to the décor," said Avery looking her up and down. "Although the granny gown wouldn't have been my first choice. I do like the fabric though, and I don't see a wand."

"Watch yourself!" Will threatened.

Lindi blushed. She wrapped her arms across her chest, modestly, though the fabric wasn't as sheer as Avery was trying to insinuate. She must have known it, because Remus thought she was just as embarrassed by Sirius' taunt. The look she gave him was as sharp as daggers, while she wouldn't even look at Avery.

But when she glanced at Remus, she looked positively mortified.

Dorcas must have caught it, too. She edged around Remus and draped an arm over Lindi's shoulder. "Come on, Lindi. Let's get out of here."

She guided Lindi towards the stairs, where Dad was now standing in his tartan robe, wand firmly in his hand, but hanging at his side. Lindi froze when she saw him.

"Mr. _Lup_—in," her voice trailed off.

"Hello, Lindi," Dad said gently. "It's good to see you."

She nodded and mumbled something.

"Yes, I think the excitement is over," Dad said. "May I walk you to your room?"

"I'm fine, really—but—" she mumbled something else, then finished with a bit of very forced humor. "Dorcas probably wants to stay and take notes, anyway."

Dorcas gave her a you-know-me-too-well smirk. "I'll be up in a little while," she promised.

Dad motioned for Lindi to walk ahead, and he glanced back at Remus rather sadly. Suddenly, it occurred to Remus how the breakup might have affected his father, too. Dad liked Lindi quite a lot and during Remus' relationship with her, Dad had to have at least toyed with the idea of a future daughter-in-law—and grandchildren. All as much a sweet dream for Dad as it had been for Remus. That dream had been shattered for him by the same curse that had shattered Remus' dreams. It wasn't fair. Dad would have made a wonderful grandfather…

"Now," Will's voice snapped him out of the bitter thoughts. "What happened? Who started this?"

Several people started speaking at once.

"Hang on!" shouted Will. "Tom?"

The barman stepped forward. "I don't know what started it, but the young Potter lad threw the first hex."

"Yes, I did," said James, boldly. "That pig called Lily—" He motioned towards her. "A _Mudblood_. I couldn't very well let him get away with that, could I?" said James. "Not and look at myself in the mirror ever again."

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Lily said, though she wasn't protesting as much as she might have.

"Yes, it was! No one's going to call you that while I'm around and get away with it!"

Lily shook her head, trying to look exasperated, but she was clearly not upset with James. Not the way she'd been when Snape had called her the same thing and James had tried to defend her back in fifth year… In fact, her cheeks now took on a pink tinge, and she seemed somewhat flattered.

"Well, good onya. I don't think anyone will blame you," Will said to James. "Still, you can't go around hexing people even if they are foul-mouthed yahoos."

"Who are you calling a yahoo?" snarled Crabbe.

"I'm calling _you_ one. Now I suggest you mind your manners before things get out of hand again."

Crabbe glared at Will furiously. "So you're a filthy blood traitor, too? Or maybe _you're_ a Mudblood?"

"Shut your filthy mouth," Will said with cold calm. "Now, I'm going to unfreeze you and you're going to come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," said Crabbe. "That blood traitor attacked _me_, just like he said."

"You'll come or I'll charge you with resisting arrest on top of disorderly conduct," Will insisted. "And I'll drag you in bound if I have to."

"I dare you," snarled Crabbe. "My dad'll have you sacked faster than you can say go back to the outback, Aussie scum."

Will smiled coolly. "Well, crikey, now I'm worried."

Crabbe's face reddened. "You should be. You're taking the wrong side of things. You'll pay for it."

Will's smile vanished. "That sounded almost like a threat to me. Keep it up and you'll get a few nights in Azkaban. Threatening an officer of the Ministry is a criminal offense."

Crabbe's arrogant sneer wavered at the mention of the wizard prison, making Will's smirk return slightly.

"Now, are you ready to mind your p's and q's and come peaceably?" Will asked.

The hate in Crabbe's eyes made Remus nervous. He was glad when Will took Crabbe's wand before casting the counter-spell to the Freezing charm. That was good thinking. Will, James, and Crabbe left without further incident.

James was gone for a little more than an hour, during which Lily and Celia had to head home.

"Send me an owl if there's any more trouble, won't you?" Lily asked.

"We will," said Sirius. "Since you're so worried." He smiled tauntingly.

"I just don't want him locked up all night," said Lily, defensively. "He may be a hot-headed berk, but he _was_ trying to defend my honor. As unnecessary as it was, I still appreciate it."

"_Right_," said Sirius in his infuriatingly superior tone.

The pink tinted Lily's cheeks again. "Fine. Well, good night."

"Good night," they answered.

A while later, James returned with Will, having made a deal with Crabbe and Tom the barman. The two had agreed to split the cost of damages in return for dropping any charges, and were let off with a warning that the next time, they would both find themselves with a criminal record.

"Mum would die," said James.

"Nah," said Sirius. "She'd die if you let Crabbe get away with calling a girl a Mudblood in front of you, and your dad would disown you for it, to boot."

Will wished them a good night and made his way up to his room. It was now fairly late and the Marauders turned in as well. Remus slept fitfully. He awoke far too early and couldn't get back to sleep.

Lindi was leaving the country sometime that day.

He thought about going down to breakfast early, in hopes of seeing her one last time before she left, but thought better of it. It wouldn't be fair to her. Instead, he slid quietly from his bed and crawled into the dormer to sit by the window overlooking the deserted Muggle street below. The sun was just climbing into the sky, though it was veiled by gloomy grey clouds. Long shadows lay over the sleepy street. He watched as a street sweeper pushed a pile of rubbish along towards a waiting truck at the corner. Slowly, the shadows began to thin and the city came awake. Three people, a man and two women, stepped off of the curb below him and crossed the road. The man tugged a large travel case. They were probably heading to King's Cross Station. Suddenly, as if receiving a lightening shock, Remus realized it was Lindi. His heart started to race and he found it a little difficult to breathe. She was going far away, somewhere he didn't know and where he had no way of protecting her, or anything. He felt horribly helpless.

As if she could sense him watching, she turned and looked back at the building, scanning the windows until their eyes met.

He was reminded of all the times throughout the years when they'd come face to face and she'd always smiled coyly and thrown him that little wave. How it had made his stomach feel…

But she didn't smile this time, and there was no sweet wave, only a look that cut him like a knife and then she turned and hurried away, without a backward glance.

She had already left him behind, long before she vanished around the corner.

Summer passed slowly. It said something that the only thing he looked forward to was the full moon, horrible as the transformation was. He was so thankful for his friends. Everything else seemed to be a mess.

His grandmother died the first week of July. His heart was broken for the second time that year.

Voldemort's reign of terror spread. Disappearances or worse went from weekly to nearly daily occurrences. Remus grew to hate the arrival of _The Daily Prophet_, but not knowing the news wouldn't make it any better. So he checked the paper each day. The only happy news it ever contained seemed to be about Quidditch. The Wimbourne Wasps had advanced to the finals coming up in France. Remus wished he cared more about it, but reading about the possible tampering of broomsticks, or the Wasps' captain, Vince Doolen's, secret new plays, or Ludo Bagman's latest rumored romance with some French model didn't interest him.

On the other hand, the murder of an Auror discovered under the Dark Mark did interest him, as did the cruel attack and murder of a Muggle vagabond, or the disappearance of a prominent member of the Wizengamot. The Death Eaters were getting more and more brazen.

But it was a report in the third week of July that sent shockwaves up Remus' spine.

_**Department of Magical Law Enforcement Employee Missing**_

_A missing person's report has been filed by the friends and family of Mr. William Matthew Chambers, of London. Last seen on Saturday evening, July 15, at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, Mr. Chambers was heading for his home on Wallingford Row. A reward is being offered for any information leading to the whereabouts of Mr. Chambers. Please contact Caradoc Dearborn at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement if you have information._

A picture of Will stared up at Remus from below the article. Remus' mouth went dry. In all the months of reading reports on abductions and murders, he'd never been _personally_ affected.

Until now… He _knew_ Will—liked him a great deal. He tried to tell himself Will was probably on a secret investigation. Maybe he'd had to go see Lindi for something?

_And not bothered to tell Dorcas or Rosmerta—or his employer?_ Remus asked himself dubiously. _Come on Remus; you know better. _

He felt sick to his stomach. How many people disappeared these days and then turned up, safe and sound?

He couldn't think of any. The war had finally hit home for Remus. He'd thought he'd understood how it was. After all, he kept well informed, more so than anyone else he knew. He had to, considering the connections to the werewolf community and how it all impacted him. But he hadn't _really_ known how it felt, what it was to be intimately touched by war. Not even after it forced Lindi to go into hiding… But now he did. Will was probably not just in hiding.

He was probably dead.

"Oh, my God…" Remus gasped numbly, staring at Will's handsome young face staring up at him.

"What's the matter?" Mum asked, her hand freezing with a spoon of porridge in midair.

Remus passed the paper to his father. "I know him. That's Will Chambers. He's Lindi's cousin."

"The young man at the Leaky Cauldron?" Dad asked, looking down at the paper.

Remus nodded, oblivious to the fact Dad wasn't looking. Mum leaned over and read the heading. She dropped the spoon back into the dish, spattering a sticky glob onto the table, but she didn't notice. Her hand flew to her mouth.

The rest of breakfast was a quiet and glum affair.

Remus couldn't get Will out of his head for what seemed ages. Or Lindi, of course…

He wondered if she even knew Will was missing? Almost a week had passed since the report. Would she come back, putting herself in more danger? He couldn't stand not knowing. He wrote a letter to Dorcas, expressing his concern and support, and seeking information. He received a reply far sooner than he'd expected.

_Dear Remus,_

_Thank you for the kind note. I'm afraid I'm losing hope that we will ever know what happened to him. Too many have just vanished from the face of the earth, but I will not stop hunting the people behind this and I will take them down if I have to die trying. Did you know we were going to be married? _

Remus was impressed with the bravado and control she was showing, even though the crinkled spot on the paper where tears had obviously fallen betrayed her. It was heart-wrenching to read on.

_Anyway, Lindi knows he's missing, but has promised to stay put. She knows there is nothing she can do, and Will made her promise. She'll stay for him. I don't know what will happen when she accepts the worst. Right now, she's hanging on to the hope he'll turn up. I don't think she can bear not to. Otherwise, she's fine, but lonely, even though she sounds very busy. _

_And just so you know, you can be honest with me. Will told me the situation with you and why you broke up with Lindi. I'm very sorry about it, for what that's worth. Will was, too. He thought very highly of you. He said there was just something about you he liked. He didn't say that very often. _

Another tear stain…

_If I hear anything, I'll be in touch. _

_Warmly,_

_Dorcas_

Remus would pick up the letter from time to time over the next few days, as if more information might magically appear amid its lines. He still didn't know where Lindi was, or who was guarding her. He tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that she'd promised to stay put, but like Dorcas, he worried about what she would do when she got word of the worst.

_But if the worst happens, will she still be in danger? It's Will they want, _he wondered, and hated himself for the way the thought made him feel almost relieved.

Still, one couldn't control the fleeting thoughts that crossed one's mind, and he truly hated the possibility—_probability_—that Will might have been killed.

For one thing, there was no telling what that, in itself, might do to Lindi, after all she'd already lost. He knew she was stronger than she thought, but everyone had a breaking point.

He thought about her shimmering tears as she told him about her mum…The hysterical phobia she'd developed after her grandmother's death from snakebite…How she'd fallen to pieces after Hilda's brother had been killed…She'd become nearly unhinged when Remus had broken her heart—to the point she had Severus Snape remove her memories… Even after two months, she couldn't look at him without tearing up…

He picked up the picture from the Crystal Ball, foreboding weighing heavily upon him. She had a strong spirit, but fragile heart. Losing Will could be the thing that drove her right over the edge.

And Remus felt helpless to stop any of it.


	60. News

**Chapter 60 News**

_**A/N: I'd like to thank Colores for another wonderful beta job, and welcome back to MaraudersWolf. I'm happy to report that she was only temporarily captured by real life. These two wonderful ladies are a great help. Thank you, both.**_

_**A/N2: This is a short chapter, but only because the other site I post at won't let me post the whole thing. . I try to keep both sites on the same schedule, so expect the next chapter very soon, as it is already written. :*) **_

* * *

It would have been understandable, given his lycanthropy, for Remus to have become used to feeling helpless, but he hadn't. He truly hated the feeling. Still, he had long ago learned to face it with calm resolve. Rarely did he lose control or become despondent, so on the morning of the full moon, Remus checked the paper once more for news of Will.

Again, nothing… He told himself no news was good news, though he wasn't convinced. Too many people had simply vanished for him to believe it.

After lunch, he concentrated on his Apparition to Hogsmeade. It would take him five legs to reach the gate of Hogwarts, due to his full moon induced state. Mum had offered to go with him, but he'd insisted on going alone. He _was _a grown man, after all.

When he finally arrived, drained and somewhat dizzy, Professor Dumbledore was waiting to let him onto the grounds. From there, he could discretely make his way to the Shrieking Shack for the transformation that evening.

"Hello, Remus," Dumbledore said.

Remus returned the greeting and was thankful the headmaster didn't ask the customary, but completely unnecessary, "How are you?" under the circumstances.

"I saw your friend, Peter Pettigrew, in The Three Broomsticks just now," Dumbledore said, as they walked in the shadow of one of the winged boars beside the gate. "He said he would see you in the morning."

"Thank you," Remus said. "Were James and Sirius with him?"

"No, but he said to tell you that he expected them at any time. The arrangements have been made with Hagrid. He will escort them to the Whomping Willow in the morning after the transformation is over. Are you sure you don't want to be transported to the infirmary for your recovery?"

"Yes, sir. We'll be fine and I won't have to worry that they'll get into mischief in the castle," Remus said jokingly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Very well. I'm glad they will be here to keep you company during your recovery, especially since Madam Pomfrey is on holiday. You have good friends, Remus."

_Oh, if Dumbledore only knew_… "Yes, sir, they are good friends." He breathed a little easier. He could expect them to entertain the wolf. That was assuming the Shrieking Shack didn't have increased security, as everywhere else seemed to have, and they could get in. If Remus couldn't open a window, they would be forced to sneak into Hogwarts from Honeydukes and then through the castle, onto the grounds, and through the Whomping Willow—without being seen. Even with James' Invisibility Cloak, that would be tricky. They'd grown so tall and large that it was getting very difficult to hide them all, even if Peter transformed into the rat.

Remus really hoped he could get a window open.

"How are your parents?" Dumbledore said, making conversation.

"They're well, thank you." Then Remus thought of something he wanted to ask. "Professor, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you know—I mean, _do_ you know Will Chambers well?"

Dumbledore cut a sideways glance at him. "Fairly well. Why do you ask?"

Remus hesitated momentarily. Confronting the Headmaster with what was sure to be confidential information was somewhat awkward, but Remus was tired of constantly worrying about saying something that might get him into trouble. If he was correct about Will, and the rumors about Dumbledore running a group opposed to Voldemort were true, Remus wanted to know and _join_ them.

After all, what did he have to lose?

"He said some things that made me think he might—well that he might be _working_ for you." Remus looked at him hesitantly.

Dumbledore cut the penetrating gaze his way once more, but he didn't look annoyed. "I am a headmaster, Remus, and Will was a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, not a teacher."

Remus hesitated again, not wanting to suggest that Dumbledore was anything but truthful, but he wanted—needed—to know. "Yes," he said tentatively. "But, some people think you might also be running an organization to fight Lord Voldemort."

Dumbledore's brows rose, but he still didn't look offended. Rather, his eyes twinkled and crinkled at the corners, as a small smile broke on his lips. "They do, do they? And what if I was, Remus?"

"I'd like to join, sir," Remus said in earnest.

Dumbledore's smile widened. He seemed almost proud. "And I would be honored to have you, Remus—_assuming_ I was running such an organization, and assuming that I would allow _students_ to join."

Remus felt his face warming. He'd expected as much, but it didn't stop him feeling a little foolish.

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "If after you have left Hogwarts next year, the Ministry still has not succeeded in capturing Voldemort—" He looked a bit disgusted at the lack of Ministry progress, "and he is still a danger, I probably _will _be running my own operation against him. In which case, I will be looking for talented witches and wizards to join me. Wizards who are not afraid to call him by name will be at the top of my list."

Remus didn't feel so embarrassed now.

"As to your question about Will Chambers—" Dumbledore turned somber. "He and I conversed on several occasions. He sought my advice and in turn, shared information I requested. Ours was a mutually beneficial association, but I also considered him a friend. I'm afraid I am not optimistic about his safety. Will made a number of very dangerous enemies in his short time here."

They walked in silence for a time. "How is Lindinara taking it?" Dumbledore asked finally.

"I'm not sure," said Remus, more uncomfortable than ever. "She's not exactly on speaking terms with me." He didn't look at the professor out of shame. "We broke up."

"Yes," Dumbledore answered. "Will told me. I had hoped you might have worked things out."

Remus found it quite odd to be talking to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock, Order of Merlin First Class….about his failed love life, but Dumbledore seemed sincerely interested.

"No," said Remus, and he was relieved that they'd arrived at the Whomping Willow, so he didn't have to discuss the fact that there wasn't a chance of working things out. He didn't want to risk blubbering in front of Dumbledore. That would be even more humiliating than losing control in front of his mum, especially after telling Dumbledore he wanted to help in the fight against Voldemort. Dumbledore wasn't likely to enlist a blubbering lovesick fool for something like that.

The headmaster wished him well and Remus prodded the knot on the tree trunk. He started the lonely walk to the Shrieking Shack and then the usual anxious wait for moonrise. He comforted himself with the knowledge that he'd have about eight hours of blissful oblivion. It would be worth the bone rending, hair raising agony of the transformation to be temporarily free from knowledge of all the current misery.

But first, he opened the sturdy shutters on a back window, thankful they were still only guarded by a simple locking charm as well as a strong hook on the inside. His friends probably would have been able to manage it on their own, if they'd had to. Dumbledore hadn't worried about the wolf getting out, as it would have no way to unlock shutters, and he'd never put more sophisticated enchantments on the building for keeping people out, for fear that it would make them more suspicious. Besides, the horrific shrieks and howls of the wolf had always been more than enough to scare people away.

Shortly, Remus' friends were tossing pebbles into the window to get his attention and he helped hoist them through. When the full moon began its rise, they waited in the hallway, as usual.

The next morning, he awoke sore and achy as ever with minor cuts and scrapes, but otherwise unhurt. It was another _successful_ transformation, thanks to his friends. He could hear them scuffling about outside the door, probably transforming themselves.

Sirius came bounding in first. "Alright, Moony?"

James and Peter followed right behind.

"Umhhmm," Remus grunted, trying to push himself up. "Obviously not as well as you, but…."

"Come on," said James, rushed. "Let's get him on the bed and then we have to hurry. Hagrid's meeting us at the gate to let us in, remember?"

"Right," said Peter, who hurried out and gathered Remus' robes for him, while James and Sirius lifted him off the floor and helped him to the edge of the bed where he could slip on an undershirt and pants when Peter returned.

"Don't forget this, Remus," Peter said. He lifted a vial from the wad of robes. "You wouldn't sleep long without it." He popped the cork out and pressed it into Remus' shaking hands.

"Thanks," Remus mumbled, taking the pain potion and swallowing every drop.

They helped him lay back onto the rickety bed and covered him with the tattered but clean blanket before they climbed through the window and dropped onto the ground. He was vaguely aware of the hook locking itself as sleep began to overtake him. It seemed as if they had only just left when the sound of muffled footsteps padded at the edge of his consciousness.

Could he have already been asleep long enough for them to get to Hagrid and back again?

He opened his eyes a crack and even in the blurred haze he could tell whoever was coming towards him was none of the Marauders.

"Hello, Remus." The deep and soothing voice of Professor Dumbledore penetrated his foggy mind. "How are you? Are you hurt?"

"Uh, unh unh, mm fine," he said, finding his voice.

"I promised Madam Pomfrey that I would check on you, if you don't mind." Remus felt the tattered blanket being moved as the professor checked him for injury. "She told me that she had informed your mother she would be away during your stay, and that your mother had intended to concoct a pain potion for you. Did you bring it?" Dumbledore asked solicitously.

"Yes, sir," Remus said drowsily. "I've already taken it."

"Ahh…then I'm disturbing your sleep for no reason. In that case, I'll leave you to it, if you are still sure you want to stay here?"

Remus nodded.

"Very well. I'll check back in the morning. There is something I'd like to discuss with you before you leave."

"Is something wrong?" Remus asked, becoming more fully aware.

"No, it's nothing to worry about," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Now get some rest—that is if you can. I believe I hear your friends coming. I trust they know you need your rest."

"Umhmm." Remus nodded and winced at the stiffness in his neck.

"They know where to find me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Remus mumbled. He was barely aware of Dumbledore greeting his friends before he drifted back into a heavy, potion induced sleep.

Dumbledore returned next morning, as he'd promised, finding everyone asleep, except for Remus who was gathering his things. His friends would have been up late again, after sleeping most of the previous day. They were getting used to having their sleep schedules disrupted almost as much as Remus was, thanks to their full moon all-nighters. But Remus' pain potion had worn off and he'd awakened, aching, so he had decided to get around.

Dumbledore looked over the room in amusement. The three Marauders were curled up on the floor, or in Sirius' case, spread-eagle over it, snoring softly; their conjured cots had already vanished from under them.

Dumbledore sighed wistfully. "I remember being able to sleep like that when I was a teenager. Alas, now that I'm old, I'm lucky to sleep four hours a night, even in a comfortable bed."

Remus had a feeling it wasn't age that kept the headmaster up at night.

Dumbledore woke the Marauders and sent them off to the train station to await Remus. "I'll escort him back and you can meet him at the train."

When they were alone once more, Dumbledore said, "Sit down, Remus."

Foreboding washed over him and he gingerly lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, watching Dumbledore for signs of concern, even though Dumbledore had assured him earlier that nothing was wrong.

Sitting on the bed next to Remus, Dumbledore got right to it. "Remus, I've made a decision about the upcoming year's Head Boy and Girl. I ended up choosing someone else and wanted to explain it to you personally."

A sigh of relief escaped Remus. This really was nothing to worry about. He'd never expected to be made Head Boy in the first place. After his dismal failure to control his friends as prefect, as well as his own detentions over the past two years, it would have been ridiculous to expect Dumbledore to trust him with that responsibility.

"You don't have to explain, sir. I understand," Remus said.

"I'm not sure you do," said Dumbledore. "It has nothing to do with my lacking confidence in your ability to do the job, Remus. I'm sorry to say that I'm forced to deny you the opportunity for your own good. I'm loathe to do it, because being Head Boy at Hogwarts is considered a very prestigious position, outside of school, believe it or not. It opens many doors that someone of your caliber should have opened to him. However…" Now Dumbledore sighed, though not from relief. It sounded more like regret. "I'm afraid it is such a prestigious appointment that it draws a great deal of attention in some circles. Particularly dangerous are those who believe that their own son should have had the position. What I'm trying to say is that I don't feel it is safe to have you put under such scrutiny. In light of recent events, it is more important than ever to have your secrets remain so. As long as you can remain relatively anonymous, the better it will be for you, much as it shames me to admit it. I'm very sorry, Remus."

Remus was actually pleased to hear that Dumbledore might have given him the opportunity under different circumstances. Dumbledore's confidence and respect meant a great deal to him. "Thank you, Professor. I really do understand."

The fact that he understood didn't seem to make Dumbledore any happier about the situation.

"So, can you tell me who will be Head Boy?" Remus asked, to change the subject somewhat.

That seemed to help. The twinkle burst back into the blue eyes. "Ahh…I'm afraid you will have to wait. He doesn't even know yet, but I think you will be pleased, if a bit surprised. Just know that I haven't lost my mind. I know what I'm doing." With that, he slapped his hands on his knees and stood up, in a much lighter mood once more.

Remus was highly intrigued, but realized the professor had ended the conversation.

"Now, let's get you to the train," Dumbledore said brightly. "You don't want to miss it. Are you well enough to walk?"

"Yes, sir."

The walk was long and slow, stiff as Remus was, but Dumbledore strolled patiently with him to the gate of Hogwarts. There, he left Remus to make it the rest of the way to the station on his own. It was less suspicious if Remus wasn't seen being escorted by the Headmaster. James, Sirius, and Peter were waiting for him on a bench. They looked exhausted, and completely unkempt, not having shaved or showered in two days. Clearly, they still hadn't caught up on their sleep on the hard floor of the Shrieking Shack. Peter's head was hanging on his chest. James looked to be awake, but only barely, elbow propped on the back of the bench with his head resting in his hand. Sirius' head was lolled back, propped against the station wall, mouth open, sound asleep. They really looked like a band of marauders who had been up to no good.

Remus smiled. Oh, how he loved his friends, and in all honesty, he was very relieved not to have the responsibility of trying to keep them in line. He felt a wave of pity for the new Head Boy, whoever he was, and laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked James.

"Nothing."

James was too tired to argue.

* * *

Remus took another mild pain potion and slept on the train most of the way back to London. During his wakeful spells, James talked of the Quidditch Regional from the week before. He'd been lucky to get back from France in time for the full moon.

Peter had some interesting news. His parents had surprised him with a trip to Paris and tickets for the match as well, as a gift for his seventeenth birthday.

Of course, Remus didn't really care about the Quidditch match just now, and he fell back to sleep.

They made it back to the Lupin farm in time for supper and James, Sirius, and Peter stayed the night. It was a very relaxed visit, as Remus was in no condition to do very much, but he enjoyed their company just the same.

His friends left the next day after lunch. Without their distraction, Remus found himself worrying about Will, Dorcas, and of course, Lindi more intensely again. Dad said there had been no news while Remus had been away. Remus didn't take that to be _good_ news, but supposed that no news was still better than bad news. He managed to put it out of his head and get some DADA practice in before going to bed. He'd been having a hard time with his Patronus Charm since his breakup with Lindi. The lion looked faint and wispy, but fortunately, he could actually produce it if he focused on his friends. Occlumency lessons had come in handy for helping him concentrate on them and block the other things just long enough to manage it.

Come to think of it, Occlumency was something he needed to practice, too. He'd been neglecting it, not yet wanting to block out thoughts of Lindi, painful as they were, but he decided to use it that night.

He had a decent sleep and awoke only mildly stiff and achy. He was nearly back to normal. His appetite was back, too.

His father was just taking off his muddy boots from doing his morning chores when Remus made it into the kitchen.

"Something smells good," Dad said pleasantly.

"I thought you men might be up for a Full English this morning," said Mum, bustling about setting a pitcher of cold milk and a pot of hot coffee on the table.

She always had a hearty breakfast when she knew Remus would have his appetite back. In any case, it smelled delicious. He sat down and poured himself a cup of milk. Mum set the loaded plate in front of him and one for his dad, then she finally sat down herself and they enjoyed a very pleasant breakfast.

As they finished up, _The Daily Prophet_ arrived. Remus looked at his father to see if he was going to read it first.

"Go on," Dad said, clearly reading the anxious look on his son's face. "I can wait for whatever miserable news it holds today." He pushed the paper across the table and poured himself a second cup of coffee.

Remus unrolled the parchment. The breakfast in his stomach seemed to sour instantly. Will's picture was large and centered on the front page. A sense of dread washed over Remus. Fearing what he was about to learn, he tore his eyes from the smiling, handsome face and read the headline.

_**Missing Dept. of Magical Law Enforcement**_

_**Employee's Body Found**_

The bile surged into Remus' throat. He nearly lost his large breakfast. He'd known this was probably how it would turn out, but he hadn't really been prepared after all, and still found it stunning.

"Oh, God," he gasped, dropping the paper to the table. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to keep from being sick. Will was dead.

He felt the paper slide from beneath his hands.

"What is it, Richard?" Mum said softly, as if afraid to ask.

Dad sighed mournfully. "Lindi's cousin, Will Chambers, is dead. They found his body."

"Oh, dear Lord," Mum's voice broke.


	61. Into the Abyss

**Into the Abyss**

_**A/N: Thanks to Colores and MaraudersWolf for betaing. **_

* * *

The next couple of days were some of the hardest Remus could remember. He was truly saddened by Will's death, even if they hadn't known each other well, or long. But Will had known the truth about Remus and had been kind and thoughtful. He'd also hinted that he was willing to work with Remus in the future, even if he hadn't wanted Remus with his cousin, which Remus fully understood. He'd broken up with Lindi for the same reasons.

_Lindi_…How was she coping? Remus felt frantic for news of her, but none came. He did hear from his friends. All three were planning to attend the funeral. They had spent a good deal of time with Lindi while she and Remus dated, and _they _had not broken her heart. Mum and Dad were going, as well. Remus longed to go, to see for himself that she was all right and to offer her some small comfort, but he figured he'd just cause her more pain. He didn't want to do that.

It came as something of a surprise when James showed up on the doorstep the day before the funeral. They walked down to the barn together, so Remus could feed the chickens. James sat on the fence and watched as Remus scattered grain.

"I think you should go to the funeral with us tomorrow," James said rather abruptly.

It took Remus a little off guard. "She doesn't want me there," he answered, not looking James in the face.

"Maybe not," said James. "But only because she doesn't know the truth."

Remus looked up now, feeling somewhat wounded. Was James trying to make him feel worse? Had Lily talked him into trying to get Remus to tell Lindi the truth? Surely he didn't think _now_ was the right time to drop even more on her. "What difference does it make why? She still doesn't want me there."

"Well, we all know she still cares about you, and if she knew the truth, I think she _would_ want you there," James insisted.

"But she doesn't," argued Remus. "So it will only make her feel worse. Or are you suggesting I should drop that bomb on her, now, just after she's lost Will?"

"No, of course not." James looked at him thoughtfully. "But maybe this will help her stop feeling so angry with you, if she knows you're there to support her. And what if someday you _can_ tell her the truth? You never know how things are going to work out, Moony, and if they ever do, it will mean a lot to her to know you were there for her, even if she didn't realize it at the time. This is something really huge in her life. You shouldn't miss it, for her sake, but also for_ yours_. And for Chambers…you said you liked him. I think you need to go. In my humble opinion, you will regret it if you don't."

Remus stared for a minute. He couldn't think of a time when James had seemed more sincere or earnest. He didn't know how to argue. "When have you ever had a _humble_ opinion, or humble anything else, for that matter?" Remus forced a joke instead.

"Okay, fine," said James, unphased. "In my opinion, which, _as usual_ is the right one, you should go. If she ever does learn the truth, you not being there for her on one of the most horrible days of her life will only make the feeling of betrayal seem worse."

_Ouch…_ "You think I betrayed her, then?"

"No, I don't. I said her _feeling_ of betrayal_. You_ are the only one who thinks you betrayed her, Moony. Well, and Lindi," James admitted. "Because she doesn't know the truth, but she'll only resent the lie more if it keeps you from being there for her when she needs you most, even if she doesn't know it now, if she ever finds out the truth. Blimey, now I'm getting confused. Stop arguing. You need to go." He jumped down off the fence and dusted his hands on his slacks.

James had always been persuasive, and so Remus found himself sitting towards the back of the funeral chapel next day, along with mum and dad, his three friends, and Lily, who had come alone. The crowd was larger than Remus had expected, considering the relatively short amount of time Will had been in the country, but Will had been a charismatic, handsome, and personable man. He would have made friends easily.

Remus could barely see Lindi sitting stiffly at the front of the chapel between Dorcas and Rosmerta, and only when the large bloke sitting behind her shifted in his seat. He'd seen her come in and she'd looked pale, with circles under her eyes, and her cheeks had looked hollow, as if she hadn't eaten well for a while, but she'd still been more beautiful than anyone he'd ever seen.

He thought it was a good thing that he couldn't see her. He didn't want everyone in the building to see him staring, and read the desperate yearning in his face. He glanced around at the crowd to see who he recognized, at least from behind. Dumbledore was there toward the front, sitting with Professor McGonagall. Frank and Alice Longbottom sat in the pew behind them. Leanna Haversham and her parents were across the aisle. Emmeline Vance and Phil Michaelson were there, as were many others who he recognized, some only vaguely, like a younger Ravenclaw named Barty Crouch, and his parents. If Remus remembered correctly, the elder Crouch was a senior official at the Ministry and probably knew Will from there, and Barty was only a year behind Lindi. Maybe they were friends. And there were many others he'd never seen.

Then there were those who surprised him by being there. Regulus Black, Severus Snape, and Evan Rosier were across the aisle and a few rows in front of Remus. Of course, it shouldn't have surprised him. Much as he hated admitting it, the relationship Lindi had apparently developed with the few Slytherins gave them as much right to be there as he had. Possibly more…And it had been largely Remus' fault. If she had not felt the need to have her memories of him removed, she might never have turned to them….The thought made him rather sick. He tried to stop thinking about it and resumed his survey of the attendees. The Slytherins shared the pew with none other than Ludo Bagman, the world famous Quidditch Beater. What was he doing there? Was he there with the Slytherins? Whether or not they were there together, they seemed to know one another.

Then, Remus recalled the incident in the Three Broomsticks the previous summer, when the inebriated Bagman Senior had given Lindi a difficult time. Ludo had been there with his father, as had Evan Rosier. Perhaps their parents were friends.

And Lucius Malfoy had been there, too.

Remus looked around discretely, but caught no sign of the white blond head. _Why would he be here_? thought Remus. But why was Ludo Bagman? Had he become friendly with Will?

Remus nearly jumped when the pipe organ belted out the first loud note of a funeral dirge, drawing his attention back to the point of his being there. He'd been distracted through most of the ceremony. The large bloke behind Lindi stood up and headed towards the pulpit, opening up a view to where she sat, still straight like a statue.

Dorcas dabbed her cheek with a tissue. Rosmerta's shoulders shivered in a sob, but Lindi was stiff as a stone, so unlike herself. Even the large bloke speaking in his Aussie accent about what a wonderful friend Will had always been showed more emotion.

It crossed Remus' mind that Lindi might have been given a calming draught or something.

Later, when they made their way back from the graveyard and into the reception, he hoped she had been given something, because she was definitely not acting like herself. She wasn't acting like anyone at all, actually—more like an automaton. She just stood inside the hall shaking the hands offered to her in sympathy, as if she'd been programmed to, but there was no teary smile of thanks, no grimace of heartbreak.

It was weird. Lindi always showed some sort of emotion, whether happy, sad, surprised, embarrassed…Some people wore their emotions on their sleeves, but Lindi wore hers on her face, try as she might to hide them. That was what made her such an awful liar.

But as he drew nearer to her in line, her expression never changed, no matter who stepped in front of her, or what was said. Her face was like that of one of the wax figures in that creepy museum his grandmother had taken him to when he was a child. She seemed completely emotionless; as if a switch had been turned off inside.

_They must have given her something_, he assured himself.

Only when he stepped in front of her did any sign of life appear in her dark eyes. There was a flash of recognition—and _need_. For an instant, he thought she was going to throw herself into his arms, but just as quickly, she obviously recovered the memory of what he'd done. The soft vulnerability and longing that had been exposed for an instant was shielded once more by the cold, stony mask.

A lump caught in his throat. "I'm so sorry, Lindi," he murmured.

"Thank you," she said robotically. "I'm sure you are." The tone was flat and lifeless, but the bitterness was still biting.

He wanted to argue, but now wasn't the time or place. He shouldn't have come. His presence had not made Lindi feel better. He looked into her face once more before he stepped away. She was staring at him so blankly, her eyes devoid of all their usual sparkle and warmth. It was like looking into an abyss.

Guilt consumed him. He knew he'd helped cast her into it.

But what else could he do? "I'm sorry," he repeated, as he stepped on to the side, wishing desperately that he had not come and praying he got away without breaking down.

When he looked up, Dorcas was there, eyeing him sadly. He really hoped she wasn't worrying about his feelings at a time like this, but she gave him such a sympathetic smile that he thought she probably was.

"Hello, Remus," she said kindly. Her eyes had the telltale signs of crying, but they were now dry. She was brave, but not without emotion. He hoped she would not start crying again. The lump Lindi had left in his throat was already threatening to make his own eyes water, and that wouldn't do.

"Hello. I'm very sorry for your loss," he said, thankful his voice didn't break.

"Thank you. I'd like to—like to thank you for coming," she said, and he got the feeling she'd been about to say something else.

"You're welcome." He was glad to move on. He didn't know what else to say, and having Lindi so near was killing him.

He found a table tucked against the wall and waited for his parents and friends, wondering if he'd have to stay for food. He wasn't hungry.

"Well, that was bloody ghastly," said Sirius, dropping into the seat next to Remus a couple of minutes later.

"Yes, it was," Peter agreed. "I've never been to a funeral for someone that wasn't old as Merlin. It's awful. Lindi looked like…" He glanced at Remus and stopped.

"A zombie," James finished for him.

"Well, if that's what the undead look like," someone said from the next table. "I think I could take up necrophilia."

_Oh, crap._ Remus hadn't noticed the people sitting across from them in the crowd: Rosier, Snape, Regulus, and Barty Crouch.

"What's necrophilia?" Peter asked him quietly.

But James blurted over him, "Shut up, Crouch! I don't think a funeral is the time to admit being a pervert."

"Besides, a zombie is the _un_-dead and someone would have to be _dead_ dead to let a spotty, scrawny git like you shag them," said Sirius.

"Actually, a zombie is the living dead," said Evan Rosier, superiorly. "I mean, un means _not_, doesn't it? So un-dead, is not dead, really. It's more accurate to say zombies are the living dead, so Crouch here is..."

"Shut it, Rosier," said James, shaking his head in disgust. "What is wrong with you lot? We're at a funeral."

"Tell your mate, Black, that," sneered Snape.

"Speaking of the un-dead," Sirius snarled back. "Snivellus crawled out from under its rock."

Snape's lip curled as he started to respond, but a commotion rose up across the room, drawing their attention.

A large huddle of people looked at something on the floor. They appeared worried. There was a lot of murmuring and furtive glances.

"What's going on?" asked Peter, standing up to get a better view.

"I don't know," said Remus.

Soon, he saw Lily coming towards them in a hurry, but before she reached them, he caught a glimpse of Ludo Bagman being let through the crowd and heading towards a door at the back of the room. In his arms was a body with long dark hair.

_Oh, no…_

Rosmerta and Dorcas followed close behind.

"Lindi's fainted," Lily said. "But she's going to be fine." She gave Remus a pointed nod. "Luckily, there were a couple of Healers here for the funeral." She sat down at the table, waiting for them to join her.

"What happened?" asked Peter.

"I overheard Rosmerta tell the Healers that Lindi hasn't been eating right and that she has some disorder—do you remember that?" She looked at Remus again.

"The blood thing?" he answered, feeling a bit flustered. Oh, how he wanted to go see her.

"Yes. Leanna said she usually controls it with her diet, but if she doesn't eat right, she gets really lightheaded," said Lily.

"I thought it made her bleed," said Peter.

"It does that too," Lily said, eyes going wide for emphasis. "She just hit her head on the floor and there was blood everywhere."

"But she's all _right_?" Remus asked urgently.

"Yes, she has a potion that she carries in case of emergency to help stop the bleeding and Rosmerta gave it to her," Lily assured him. "The Healer was going to give her a Blood Replenishing potion, too."

"She lost that much blood just fainting and hitting her head?" asked James.

"It was incredibly fast," Lily said, sounding more concerned now. "Leanna said she really has to eat right to keep it under control, and apparently she hasn't eaten much at all lately. I thought she looked a little thin."

"She didn't look thin to me." Barty Crouch interjected from his table. Apparently he'd been listening in.

"Yes, well, maybe if you tried looking at her _face_, you'd spot it," snapped Sirius. "Now butt out, Pervy."

Peter sniggered. "Pervy Crouch…Good one."

Fortunately, Remus' mum and dad arrived just in time to stop another argument ensuing.

Rosmerta came out after a short while and reported that Lindi was fine and resting and thanked everyone again for their kindness and support at this difficult time. Remus believed her, but he still wanted to see Lindi for himself. If James had brought his Invisibility Cloak, Remus might well have sneaked into her room, but James hadn't. It was probably a good thing, since Remus was miserable enough as it was, and he would not have liked what he saw, as he learned the next morning.

The following day had started normally enough. He'd let the horse out to pasture, gathered some eggs, eaten, and settled down in the living room with a cup of coffee to read the paper before heading upstairs to practice Transfiguration. That's when things turned sour.

On the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ was a photograph from Will's funeral under the headline,

_**Slain DMLE Member Laid to Rest**_

Remus studied the picture before moving on to the story. It had been taken at the gravesite, with Will's coffin in the foreground. Behind it, Lindi sat between Rosmerta and Dorcas, like she'd been carved of the hardest marble, a statue worthy of Michaelangelo, but cold just the same.

He scanned the report. Most was a biography of Will's life, with only a small blurb about the circumstances surrounding his death. It had been ruled a homicide, but further details were unavailable due to the ongoing investigation. They didn't even reveal the cause of death, leaving Remus to wonder if he'd been killed by _Avada Kedavra_, like many of the more recent Death Eater victims. That was usually made known in reports, helping to link murders to Voldemort. Of course, Dorcas' byline was usually attached to those stories, but someone else had written this. The fact that Voldemort's followers were using the Unforgivable Curse had brought even more terror lately, since there was no defense against the horrific spell, but Remus knew Dorcas wanted the truth to be told, so people would know just what they were up against.

That the cause of death was left out made Remus wonder if there was reason to believe that Will had been killed by someone other than Death Eaters? A sickening chill ran up Remus' neck. What if it had been related to his Werewolf Capture Unit activities instead? Worse still, what if it was both? More evidence linking the werewolf community to Voldemort would be very bad.

He came to the end of the front page story and read _See Related Story on Page 4_.

He flipped to page 4 and found it was the Society section. _What sort of related story would appear in the Society section? _he wondered. Perusing the articles, he spotted a picture of Lindi being carried out of the reception by Ludo Bagman. He looked up at the title above the photograph.

_**LUDO: Hero Off the Pitch as Well as On**_

_By Rita Skeeter_

Remus found this incredibly annoying, probably to an irrational extent. Bagman was a _hero_ for carrying Lindi out of the room? Weren't the Healers more heroes than a man whose only qualification was sheer brawn?

Remus decided he should just read the story. Maybe he was becoming peeved unnecessarily. He'd read enough of her articles to know that this Rita Skeeter was a bit of a gossip hound who often gratuitously dramatized her stories. He started reading, telling himself to take it all with a grain of salt.

_After leading the Wimbourne Wasps to a thrilling victory over Luxembourg National at the Quidditch Regional Finals in Paris last month, our hero, Ludovic Bagman is at it again. This time, he isn't knocking Quidditch stars off their brooms, but sweeping a beautiful damsel in distress off her feet. _

Remus rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. _That wasn't exactly the way it happened_, he thought, but he kept reading, none the less_._

_Actually the damsel in question, Lindinara Dellington, 17, of Hogsmeade…_

Remus stopped for a moment. Lindi wasn't 17, she was still 16. Already Skeeter had her facts mixed up. He still kept reading.

…_fainted during the funeral reception for her cousin, William Chambers, 25, formerly of London, who was killed last week. Poor Lindi, as she is called by her family and friends, was overcome by grief and fainted in the middle of the reception hall. Fortunately, Ludo, the Good Samaritan, was there to whisk her away to a more private setting, while she recovered. _

_However, suspicions that Ludo was more than simply a Good Samaritan were aroused when Ludo didn't return to the hall after quite some time. Our suspicions seemed to have been confirmed when this reporter went to get an update on Miss Dellington's condition and found the door ajar. Not wanting to disturb the poor dear, my photographer, the talented John Whistleblower, quietly opened the door, revealing the touching scene which he expertly captured in the photograph below._

Another picture of Lindi followed, this one obviously taken unawares, for she was on a sofa, apparently asleep. Remus was enthralled by her lying there, long hair draped over the cushion, like a picture from a story book of Sleeping Beauty. Drawn to the image as he was, he still noticed the people around her, particularly Ludo Bagman. The burly Quidditch star was sitting in a chair pulled close beside her, and he reached up and brushed a strand of hair off her face before taking her hand as she slept. Remus stared at the big hands gently caressing Lindi's delicate fingers. He felt a surge of…sickness…fury…horror? He wasn't sure what he felt. Was something going on between Bagman and Lindi? Is that why he was at the funeral? Remus felt like he couldn't breathe. Forcing himself to stop watching that massive hand touch Lindi's, he wrenched his eyes to the words that came next.

_That's right, readers. The scene looked suspiciously intimate for a random act of kindness on the part of our hero, and he was visibly flustered when he realized we'd photographed the touching moment. He threw us out! Undeterred, I asked Mr. Bagman just what his relationship was to Miss Dellington._

"_We're just friends, Rita," Ludo insisted. _

_When asked how they knew one another, Ludo admitted they'd met in Paris earlier in the summer. Hmm…wasn't there a rumored _l'amour_ for our Quidditch star in Paris recently? _

_Inquiring minds want to know, so of course, I asked. "She didn't happen to be a model in Paris?" _

_Ludo's reply: "No comment, Rita. We're just friends. What she was doing in Paris is her own business." _

_Well, as my readers know, getting to the bottom of mysteries is MY business. Some of you may recognize Miss Dellington from advertisements for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. As it turns out, Miss Dellington was working as a sales clerk at Maison de Malkin in Paris this summer. We learned that while there, she happened to do a spot of modeling for Malkin's Parisian fall line with rising star fashion photographer, Roco Boucher. Coincidence? Well, anything's possible, but photographs have surfaced from a Quidditch Federation party a week prior to the Regional, showing the two 'friends' off by themselves in a corner looking very cozy. _

Remus had started to sweat by now. Lindi, in a relationship with Ludo Bagman? It was too sickening. Of course, Lindi in a relationship with anyone would have been. He looked at the photograph of the two standing together at the party. It certainly looked like Ludo was trying to chat her up, but he thought Lindi's smiles looked forced.

_Are you just trying to kid yourself?_ he wondered. But he really thought the smiles looked forced and it helped him face the rest of the story.

_When confronted with the photograph, Ludo tried to laugh it off._

"_I'm telling you, Rita. We're just friends. Lindi's a nice girl. We've had some laughs. She's a Quidditch fan. She even plays Seeker for her house team at Hogwarts, but there's nothing going on between us."_

_Me thinks he doth protest too much. If there is something going on, you'll find out here first. Stay tuned._

Remus sat, staring at the picture of Lindi and Bagman at the party, trying to read her face, praying there would be some clearer sign proving that she wasn't interested in the Quidditch star. He tried very hard to be objective and wondered if he was reading sad eyes where none existed, but there was no denying the look on her face when Bagman turned away at a call from someone, or that she forced the smile when he turned back to her. Remus knew her too well not to recognize a genuine Lindi glow–and it wasn't there for Ludo Bagman. He felt a momentary relief, but it was fleeting when he considered the timing of the party. Lindi would have been aware of Will being missing at the time. _Of course_ she wasn't in a party mood…

That she was at a party with him _at all, _at a time like that,hinted that she was probably at least a little interested.

Remus felt physically ill. His hands were shaking when he tossed the paper onto the coffee table and headed up stairs. He was still sitting at the foot of his bed, staring out the window some time later when there was a soft tap at his door.

"Remus?" a female voice that was not his mum's called. "Are you decent?"

_Lily_…What on earth was she doing here? She must have read the paper and come to see about him. Dear Lily… But he wasn't sure he wanted to talk. He wasn't sure he'd be able to, without coming unglued, but she'd come so far, and if there was anyone he felt he could bawl in front of, for some reason, it was Lily. Maybe he needed it.

"I'm not sure, but I _am_ dressed," he said, turning away from the window to watch her push the door open and peek inside. She smiled at his lame humor. "Hello, Lily. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood." She smiled knowingly. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yes—"

She looked at him pointedly.

"I think so—"

She looked unconvinced.

"I don't know," he smiled desperately. "No, not really."

Lily came and sat next to him, patting him on the arm, supportively. She didn't say anything, waiting for him to go on. She was just there for him if he needed her, and he was very grateful that she didn't offer him some useless platitude like 'it'll be fine' or 'you'll get over it'.

Maybe he would; maybe he wouldn't, but right now, he felt like breaking something. He'd had the awful urge since he'd come upstairs, but it would have upset Mum.

"I knew it was going to happen," he finally said softly. "I just hoped it would be a while longer, you know, maybe in fifty years or so."

Lily smiled sadly at his forced joke.

"And I would have preferred it not be announced in the national news or that he'd not be a superstar Quidditch hero so that I had to read about them every other week I open the paper." He brushed his hair back in frustration.

Lily sighed, "Ohh, Remus… I'm so sorry. But you know, it isn't certain that they're together."

Remus looked at her doubtfully. "Rita Skeeter might be a gossip monger, but she's usually not completely wrong."

"She's a nosey vulgar cow!" said Lily, surprising Remus.

"Blimey, Lily," he said. "I know she's nosey, but I've never read anything particularly vulgar. Have I missed something?"

Lily grimaced slightly and seemed reluctant to answer. "Well, I actually overheard her interview with Ludo."

Remus' eyes widened. "What? How?"

"After you lot left the reception, I went to check on Lindi before I left. Rita was grilling him in the corridor and I couldn't help hearing?"

"So you eavesdropped?" Remus smirked amused.

"Yes, I did," she said, unabashed.

"We'll make a Marauder out of you yet, Lily." Remus smiled, but then remembered what they were discussing. "Well, what did he say? Did she report it accurately?"

"Yes," Lily said, seeming to weigh her words. "But she left out a little. Thank goodness."

Remus heart started to race. "What?"

"You won't like it," she said.

"I don't like any of this!"

"I know, but—ugh—that vulgar cow insinuated that Ludo and Lindi were—or _might_ be—doing more than _just having a friendly dinner_."

"Yes, she thinks they're dating."

"She thinks he's getting more than a goodnight kiss afterwards, Remus," Lily finally made herself clear.

Remus' mouth dropped. "She actually said that?"

"Not in so many words, but when he tried to brush her off by asking her if she didn't think Lindi was a little young for him, Rita scoffed and said…" Lily imitated Rita Skeeter's voice, "_Come now, Ludo,_ _it isn't like she's jail bait, after all. They're not going to arrest you, you know. _And she _winked_ at him. Ugh…"

Remus agreed that was pretty vulgar—and he _really_ didn't like it. "What did Bagman say?"

"He laughed and admitted that that was true." Lily made a sour face. "He thinks Lindi's seventeen, by the way. I can understand that, her going into seventh year, and I assume he knows her birthday is in November. Normally, that would make her seventeen, but I would expect a hotshot reporter like Skeeter to get her facts straight. She loses credibility like that. Who knows what else she got wrong?"

"Well, the pictures are hard to deny," Remus said.

"I know," Lily admitted reluctantly. "But, you know, Remus, even if they are dating, I don't see anything coming of it. Honestly, Ludo Bagman isn't exactly Lindi's type, is he?"

Remus looked at her gratefully, but unconvinced. "They both play Quidditch," he said.

"So," Lily argued. "He's also loud, obnoxious, and an attention hog. Lindi can't stand the limelight, and besides—" She looked at him pointedly. "We both know she prefers a much quieter, gentler, more sensitive man with an intellect above that of an amoeba."

Remus blushed.

Lily looked more pleased. "If they are together, it's just a rebound thing. I'm sure of it, because she still loves _you_. I saw it in her eyes when she spotted you at the funeral. They were practically screaming for you."

A hopeful feeling warmed him all over.

But then it shamed him. Why was he so selfish? Why did he want Lindi to want him, when he couldn't be with her?

But he couldn't help it. He couldn't bear the thought of her loving another man. Not yet, anyway…

There was another knock on the door and someone pushed it open before they could invite them in.

"Oi," James barked. "What are you doing in here with a _girl_ with the door closed? Your mum will have a conniption!"

"Jealous, Potter?" Lily teased.

"Maybe," he said, rather huskily. Then he walked over to the bed and sat on the other side of Remus. He put his arm around Remus' shoulders, leaned around to look at Lily, and said in a seductive voice, "I saw him first, you know?"

Remus elbowed James in the ribs and laughed, "Get off, you idiot."

"Oww…I'm wounded," James cried.

"I'm sure you are," Remus laughed.

"No, seriously," James said. "I think I may have internal bleeding." He rubbed his ribcage. "That is one bony elbow, Moony."

"Serves you right," Lily said, laughing, too.

It felt so good to laugh. Just a few minutes earlier, Remus had been sure he would never smile again, much less laugh.

Oh, how did he ever manage to find such wonderful friends?

"What are you doing here, Prongs?" he asked.

"I got an owl from Lily. I came to keep you from throwing yourself into a dragon's lair or something."

Remus looked at Lily, who smirked at James in disgusted amazement.

"Nice…very subtle, Potter…" She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"What?" James asked, oblivious. "This is how blokes cope with this—_sensitive_ stuff."

"Great," Lily scoffed in fun. "Well, I know who _not_ to call if I get _my_ heart broken."

"Pick the right bloke and you won't have to worry about it," James said, and there was an intensity in his eyes that belied the playful nature of their bickering.

There was also no question that Lily blushed.

An awkward silence ensued. Remus felt like he didn't belong, sitting there between them, but it would have been too obvious if he'd left his own room.

He was very relieved when a loud rumbling noise rattled the window, giving him an excuse to move. Lily seemed to share his relief.

"What is that?" she said, jumping up off the edge of the bed and sticking her head through the window.

The sound died suddenly and a couple of minutes later, Sirius' loud laugh floated up the stairs. No doubt, he was tormenting Mum. Another minute passed and the heavy footfalls sounded like a small herd of wildebeest running up the stairs. Sirius barreled into the room, followed by Peter, who looked a little green.

"Are we too late?" Sirius asked.

"No," said James. "They were in here _alone_, on the _bed_, but I got here in the knick of time."

Lily rolled her eyes again. "Very funny."

"Bloody hell, Evans," said Sirius. "When you said you were worried and wanted to cheer him up, I thought you meant bring him some biscuits or something. Remind me to call you if I ever get _my_ heart broken." He waggled his brow. "Of course, _I'm_ the one who breaks hearts, but I suppose it _could_ happen. I wouldn't mind being _cheered up_ if it did." He waggled his brow again.

"Ugh…" Lily groaned.

"I got my heart broken," said Peter. "Last fall. Is it too late?"

"Shut up, you pillocks," Lily said. "For the love of Merlin, how did you ever end up with such obnoxious friends, Remus?"

"I think you've asked me that before," he said, smiling.

"And I still don't understand." She smiled back.

"So," said Sirius. "I take it Moony's no longer in danger of swallowing a cauldron full of wolfsbane."

"Sirius!" cried Lily.

"What?" he said innocently.

"Can't you show a little more compassion?" she asked.

"I told you," James said. "This is how blokes deal with this sort of—_thing_."

"Yeah," said Sirius. "What do you want me to do, hold his hand while he bawls and tell him I'll go pound Bagman into a bloody pulp if he'd like?" He looked at Remus. "You don't want me to, do you?"

Remus gave him a look, but didn't dignify him with an answer.

"I think it's a load of tosh, anyway," said Peter.

"What is?" asked Sirius. "That Moony would actually bawl, or that I'd beat Bagman into a pulp?"

"Not that," Peter answered. "I mean that Lindi would actually go out with Ludo Bagman. He's not at all her type."

"See," Lily said, elbowing Remus gently.

"I'm afraid I don't _see_," said Sirius. "Didn't you see the pictures? And he's rich, famous, fit, not hideous in the face, and according to the paper, loads of women think he's charming. Yeah, I can see what you mean. Lindi couldn't possibly fancy a bloke like that."

"Er, Padfoot," said James. "I thought we came here to cheer Moony up."

"By blowing fairy dust in his eyes?" Sirius said. "Being intentionally blind to reality isn't Moony's style."

"You don't know her," said Peter, unexpectedly.

Sirius turned a steely eye on him. "Oh, really? Well, enlighten me, Wormtail, since you're so wise in the ways of Lindi."

Peter's face blazed, but he managed to say, "Well, she wouldn't go out with _you_." He stopped and swallowed, cowering a bit under Sirius' glare, then quickly tried to soften the blow. "Even though you're fit, and rich, and handsome, and loads of women think you're charming and..." He swallowed again, but held Sirius' gaze.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Sirius' stared coldly at Peter. The others watched, surprised. Peter didn't usually mouth off to Sirius, unless it was in fun. James started to say something, but Sirius moved first.

He smiled. "You've got a point, Wormtail."

Peter visibly relaxed.

"But it doesn't change the fact that she's probably dating him," Sirius added. "Look at the pictures."

"But dating someone doesn't mean you actually _fancy_ them," James offered. "Sometimes dating is just something to do."

"Oh, that's nice," Lily said disapprovingly.

"Why?" asked James reasonably. "Do you mean you've really fancied every bloke you've ever gone out with? I'm not talking about shagging, or even snogging, just a date or two. Don't you think that's what Lindi and Bagman probably have going on? I have to agree with Wormtail. I don't think she really fancies him much less that she's shagging him."

_Well, that's a relief,_ thought Remus, finding this conversation rather painful.

"I just think she's hurt and lonely and scared and grabbing on to anything she can," James continued. "Bagman was in the right place at the right time, because I've no doubt _he_ fancies _her_. You can tell from the pictures. But she's just—trying to hang on." He shrugged.

A long silence followed as everyone stared at him. Lily looked dumbfounded—and impressed.

Remus felt like crying.

"_Alrighty_ _then_, who wants to have a go on my motorbike?" Sirius finally asked.

"_I _do," said Remus.

Sirius smiled wickedly. He gave Remus the wildest ride of his life, attempting to blot out everything but a sense of being alive and facing death. There was something about jagged earth screaming towards you at a hundred miles an hour that made you decide if you really wanted to be alive, even if everything around you seemed to be going to hell. Remus' frantic shouting, "_Sirius_, NOOOO!" showed that he did.

He still felt shaky when he climbed into bed that night, but it had been a thrilling ride. Just what he'd needed… He fell asleep quickly.

Soon, he was riding the motorbike again, this time driving by himself, speeding over trees. The mountain tops of Snowdonia gave way to the jagged cliffs of the coast and then he was out over the sea. He flew low over the white capped waves, but the sea started to churn, and the blue sky grew dark with thick grey clouds, until they had completely blotted out the light of the sun. It was dark now, and the green waters had turned black and swirled violently around him, the waves overtaking him. He was going to sink, but suddenly, the motorbike turned into a tiny raft. He was being tossed in the gale, riding the boiling crests. This was bad. Suddenly, he started turning in circles, as a whirlpool opened into the depths of the ocean. He spun around on the edge of the black hole, afraid he was going to be sucked in. His heart pounded. And then he heard it, a voice calling his name. Lindi's voice…he looked around frantically, searching in the darkness. He tried to answer her, but nothing came out. She cried again, "_Remus! Help me! I'm drowning!_" He started to panic. He couldn't find her. She kept calling him. The sea kept churning. "_Remus!"_ And then he spotted her, flailing in the raging waters. She was being pulled down into the abyss. _Remus, help me!_ But he couldn't. He was frozen on the raft. To his horror, the whirlpool started collapsing in on itself. _Nooo!_ He screamed, but no sound would come. _Remus, please!_ She reached for him, but she was too far away. And then the waves crashed over her.

"_Lindi!"_ he gasped, coming awake in a cold sweat.


	62. Some Good News and Some Bad News

**Some Good News and Some Bad News**

**A/N: Thanks to Colores for all the help. Readers would really appreciate it if they only knew how you saved them. ;) **

* * *

Remus looked around frantically, listening for her, feeling disoriented and afraid. After a moment of panic, he accepted that he was in his bed and not out over the raging sea. He had not just watched Lindi being dragged into the abyss, even though her desperate cry for help still rang in his ears. Was she outside? Had her call triggered the nightmare? He strained his ears, hoping to hear her actual voice, but all he could hear was the sound of his blood pumping fiercely through his veins.

She didn't call his name. It had only been a dream.

His heart was beating so hard and fast that he feared he might have a heart attack. He lay back on the bed for a few minutes, trying to get his breathing under control. He hated nightmares and this one had been as vivid as any he could remember. It had been horrific.

He was still unsteady and a little clammy when he went down to breakfast a short while later.

"Are you feeling well, Remus?" Mum asked, placing her hand on his forehead, after she set his plate before him. "You look peaky."

"Peakier than usual?" he asked with a self-deprecating smile.

She gave him that look that said she didn't like him making fun of himself. "Yes."

"I just didn't sleep well, Mum. I'm fine."

She started to say something, but with a glance at Dad, seemed to change her mind. Remus had a feeling they'd read the news about Bagman yesterday and had already discussed how to handle the situation. Dad must have won. Apparently they would let Remus bring it up if he felt the desire, which of course, he definitely did not.

Over the next few days, Remus Apparated to the shore after he'd finished his chores, and sat on the rocky beach, staring out over the sea. This was where the horrible dream had taken him. He knew Mum worried about him going off by himself so much, but he needed to think. He hadn't been able to shake the sense of foreboding that hung over him ever since the nightmare, but after days of being hit in the face with the salty spray from waves crashing up on the rocks, he started to come to his senses. He told himself that he was just being delusional if he thought the dream had actually been some sort of premonition—a warning. He wasn't a Seer, after all.

No, he was just clinging to a delusion rather than admitting that the dream was his subconscious telling him he had to let Lindi go—that he couldn't be her lifeline.

_Actually, you're more like the whirlpool sucking her down_, he thought miserably. Suddenly, he wished he'd never taken Divination or studied dream interpretation.

But it was time to face the truth. Much as it pained Remus to admit it, Ludo Bagman had been the one to rescue her at Will's funeral, and apparently, he had helped her during the period of Will's disappearance. Ludo was the lucky bloke who got to be Lindi's life preserver, for now at least. Not Remus…

It made him sick, but Remus needed to accept it.

But James' words kept coming back to him. James didn't think Lindi really fancied Bagman, nor did Peter, or Lily.

And Lily had said that Lindi still loved Remus, that she'd seen it in Lindi's eyes.

Remus had seen it, too, for that split second….

_What difference does it make? _he rebuked himself. _You can't have her, and she thinks you don't even want her. She's trying to move on. Let her!_

But the dream…

A wave crashed nearby, spraying him with a thick, cold mist. It startled him like a drunk hit with a bucket of water, snapping him to his senses.

_She's dating someone else_, he told himself firmly. _She's letting you go._

"And you have to let _her_ go!" he said out loud, as if it would make him understand better. Oh, how his heart ached at the truth of it.

How was he supposed to stop wanting her, _loving_ her?

_You never will_, filled his mind. _But you have to let go of this delusion that someday_… The lump tore at his throat.

Thankful for the solitude and for the roar of the sea to drown out his choking sobs, and for the salty spray to blame for his red eyes if he were caught, Remus finally let his emotions go.

He prayed that each falling tear would erode a little of the futile hope he'd secretly harbored, that they might somehow get back together, until the grand delusion was completely washed from his mind.

He was still sitting on the craggy rock when the sun was buried behind a dark line of clouds. A distant rumble of thunder told him he needed to get home, but his eyes were still stinging and moist. He couldn't go in like that, even if he did try to blame it on the salty spray. Neither Mum nor Dad would believe that.

_Pull yourself together!_ He blinked the last of his tears out of his eyes and stood up, oblivious to the dampness of his clothes, and Apparated to his house. He aimed for a place far enough away from the house that if his mother looked from the window, she wouldn't spot his red eyes in the deepening dusk, but close enough that she would hopefully hear the Apparition and know he was safe.

It worked.

"Remus?" she called from the open kitchen window. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mum," he answered, hating the nasally hoarseness he heard in his voice.

"Good, supper's almost ready."

"I'll be in shortly," he called. "I want to check the, er—Nifflers." Thank goodness he'd remembered that Dad was raising a lot to sell to the Goblins at Gringotts.

"I think your father already did," she called after him.

_Crap._ "I'll just make sure. I don't want to have to come back out. It looks like rain."

"Well, don't be long. I made shepherd's pie!"

Remus smiled, despite himself. Shepherds's pie was one of his favorites. Mum was trying to comfort him with food.

"That sounds delicious. I'll hurry."

He wandered around as long as he reasonably could. Dad _had _tended to the Nifflers, but hopefully, the mild breezy night air would have his eyes completely dried and soothed before he made it into the kitchen. Otherwise, he would have to trust Mum and Dad to leave him some little bit of dignity and ignore the bloodshot signs. After blubbing on a rock most of the afternoon, he hadn't much dignity left.

Thankfully, they ignored his eyes, though Mum couldn't help but comment on his damp clothes and hair. "What have you been doing?"

"I went down to the shore for a while and the waves were getting up," he admitted.

She took out her wand and dried him off, the way she used to do when he was a small boy and had stayed out to puddle jump in the rain. "You'll catch cold!"

He let her fuss over him, knowing what she really wanted to coddle him over was Lindi, but his damp head would have to suffice.

He shot his sympathetically smirking dad a tiny eye roll and the men shared a knowing smile. Dad probably knew more than Remus cared to admit, but they both pretended Mum was just being silly.

So, Remus got through supper, and the night, and the following day…

Life went on….

One Thursday afternoon, as September drew near, help came in the form of an owl from Sirius.

_Moony,_

_Prongs and I are going into Diagon Alley to get the rest of our school things tomorrow. Wormtail is meeting us. Then, you lot are going to crash at my new place. We'll meet you outside The Leaky Cauldron at 10. _

_Padfoot_

* * *

Remus got up early Friday morning to finish his chores and then happily scraped together a Galleon and a few Sickles and Knuts from the box in his desk and headed out, looking forward to the distraction his friends always provided. James and Sirius were waiting and Peter arrived a few minutes after Remus. They wandered over to Madam Malkin's so that Sirius could get a new set of robes, since he had outgrown yet another one. Remus forced himself to divert his eyes from the new advertisement in the window. He was trying not to think of Lindi anymore and having her picture staring him in the face, larger than life, wasn't going to help. Mercifully, his friends ignored it, too. At least they made no mention of it.

Remus couldn't help taking a discrete peek on the way out, though, and felt he was paying a price for his weakness when he felt Lindi's eyes glaring at him accusingly, in the brief glance. It made him take another look, but then he saw her merely gazing off mildly at something in the distance, as though he weren't even there.

_Let it go_, he insisted.

They all bought parchment, ink, and quills at Scribbulus' Everchanging Inks; Peter purchased a small package of Murtlap tentacles from the apothecary for his mum; James dragged them all into Quality Quidditch Supplies on the pretext of needing broom polish, though he almost forgot to pick it up once he was distracted by the new Quidditch robes.

"Feel that," he said, as he rubbed the fabric between his thumb and fingers. "It's so slick. That will definitely cut down on wind drag. I wonder if I could talk McGonagall into getting the team a set."

"Phew," Peter whistled. "I don't know, Prongs. Look at the price."

James winced. Though _he_ could afford them, he knew some members of the team could not, and he begrudgingly let the fabric fall from his hands and turned his attention to the barrel of new Quaffles. Sirius finally dragged him to the broom polish so they could get lunch.

"I'm starving!" Sirius growled.

They made their way down the street to a small café and took a table outside under a red and orange umbrella, ordered fish and chips, and watched the shoppers pass by. They attracted a few nervous glances, mainly from obviously anxious women who hurried their young children along.

"Who do they think we are, Death Eaters having tea between attacks?" asked James.

"Probably," said Sirius, apparently unconcerned. "Watch this."

He sat back against his chair casually, looking down the pavement.

Remus glanced around nonchalantly in the direction Sirius was looking. A vaguely familiar boy was coming near them, staring rather apprehensively at Sirius. Remus turned back, trying to place the boy and thought he was a second or third year Hufflepuff.

Sirius' gaze was unblinking and looked rather sinister as the boy started to pass. "Bah!" Sirius barked suddenly, jerking his head toward the boy.

The poor lad jumped out into the street, shrieking, "Aagh!" and tripped on a loose brick, landing hard on his bum.

The Marauders burst into laughter, though Remus felt a bit sorry for the boy. Everyone's nerves were on edge enough as it was, but he looked rather hilarious, at his age, jumping at a simple boo from someone in broad daylight. Still, Remus was more ashamed when the boy's mum came running up.

"Andrew!" she cried. "What are you doing? I told you not to wander off!"

Andrew picked himself up, still eyeing the grinning Sirius warily. The woman turned to look, and Sirius smiled pleasantly. "Hello, Mrs. Pinson. How are you today?"

"Mr. Black," the woman nodded curtly, but didn't seem particularly pleased to see him. "Come along, Andrew." And she steered her son along sharply.

"They live across the square at Grimmauld Place," Sirius explained. "So they probably _do_ think I'm a Death Eater, knowing the wonderful family and all." He smirked darkly.

"They're just idiots," said James. "If they know so much about your family, they should know you don't live there anymore for a reason."

Sirius shrugged. "Who cares?"

Just then, the waitress brought their food and they tucked in like the ravenous teenaged men they were. It was a good excuse not to talk about it anymore.

"Oi," said Peter, who had looked up from his meal long enough to reach for his Butterbeer. "Look who it is, Prongs."

James turned and looked over his shoulder, wiping a drip of malt vinegar from his chin with the back of his hand.

Across the street, the sun was shining on a bright redhead. Lily was walking up the pavement and didn't appear to have spotted them.

"Call her over, Moony," James said.

Remus swallowed a mouthful of Butterbeer. "Why don't _you_ call her?" he taunted James.

James gazed at him unflinching, completely unabashed. "You know why."

"That's right, Prongs," said Sirius ironically. "You play it cool. Make Moony do the groveling for you."

"Shut up," James snapped good humouredly. He looked at Remus imploring. "Come on, Moony."

"Coward," said Remus.

"Watch it," James said. "It isn't cowardice; it's strategy."

"Fine…_Lily_!" Remus shouted, waving to get her attention when she turned her head.

A warm smile broke on her face, and she glanced up and down the street for carriages, before stepping off the pavement to cross over and join them.

"What are you lot up to?"

"Last minute shopping for school," said Remus.

"And watching Sirius scare passersby," Peter added.

Her eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

"He's scaring them so badly one prat jumped out into the street," Peter explained.

"What did you do?" she asked Sirius, who just shrugged.

"Nothing, really," James answered for him. "He apparently scares people just by his mere presence."

"I inspire awe, you know," Sirius said, leaning back in his chair haughtily.

Lily laughed, rolling her eyes. "No, really, what did you do?"

"Seriously," said Peter. "He just sat there looking at people funny."

"Well," said Remus fairly. "He did say _boo_ to the one boy who fell in the street."

Lily looked both appalled and amused. "A boy actually fell in the street because you said _boo_?"

Sirius looked rather smug.

"Yeah," said James. "He's apparently that scary. Why don't you join us so he isn't so menacing?"

"We don't seem to help," said Remus.

Lily laughed. "I don't doubt it. You lot probably just make matters worse, for anyone who knows you, at least."

"Oi," James said, feigning hurt feelings.

"You know it's true and you _love_ it," she said, smirking.

A cheeky smile spread on James' face. "So, do you want to sit down?"

She checked her watch. "I guess I have a little while before I need to get back."

James jumped up and slid a chair from the next table between his and Sirius'.

"Are you by yourself?" Remus asked.

"Yes. I had to come up and get a new mortar and pestle for Potions," she said, frowning. "Petunia _accidentally_ knocked mine off the counter and broke it, threw it in the bin and let the dustman haul it away before I could mend it." Her annoyance was palpable.

"Nice," said Sirius.

Peter grunted his agreement. Lily seemed to appreciate the solidarity and shrugged her annoyance off.

"Why didn't you get someone to come with you?" asked James. "It's not safe, you know."

"I just needed to pop over and get it and pop back home. Besides, it's broad daylight and I'm not going to stay cooped up in my house, scared to come out. That's what those monsters want."

"Yes, but," Peter hesitated. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Well, you're _Muggleborn_."

"Yes, I know," Lily answered. "And I'm still not going into hiding. I needed a new mortar and pestle." The determination in her voice was admirable, but…

"It _is_ dangerous, Lily," said Remus. "_We_ don't even go out on our own very often."

"Meaning?" Lily asked. She gave him a look—not an angry one, but a little annoyed perhaps. "What? I'm just a witch and you lot are wizards?"

"You know that isn't what I meant," Remus answered, lowering his voice, too. "I meant that none of us is a Muggleborn. We are all well aware you can handle yourself as well as we can."

"Or close enough," said James, but he smiled showing he was teasing her. "You really should try to get someone to come with you. Even _The Daily Prophet_ had those tips that said everyone should go out in pairs."

"I know," Lily admitted. "But I was in a hurry and couldn't find anyone available."

"Next time, call one of us," James offered. "I'd be happy to keep you company—for defense, you know."

"And who's going to defend her from you?" Sirius jibed.

Peter and Remus snorted, and Remus thought there was a bit of color rising in Lily's cheeks, but she laughed it off, too.

"I think I can manage that!" she said. "Thanks for the offer anyway, Potter. I'll keep it in mind, if I get _desperate_."

_Ouch_…Remus thought, but James took it like a man and smiled again. Maybe he'd noticed the blush on her cheeks, too.

"So, are you ready to get back to Hogwarts?" James asked.

"I can't wait! Petunia's boyfriend is driving me barmy. He's always at the house, so I can't say or do anything remotely associated with our world, and he's a huge prat, thinks he's better than everyone else and he really _isn't_. Ugh…"

"Well, it's just another week," said Remus. He wished he was looking as forward to it as Lily obviously was. Somehow, knowing he'd be seeing Lindi every day, reminding him of what he was missing, wasn't making him as thrilled as he might otherwise have been. He remembered how he'd always been so excited to go back and it was heartbreaking that this, his last time, was so different.

_But you'll be back in Gryffindor, _he reminded himself. _And you'll be with Peter, James, and Sirius every day…_ That cheered him considerably.

"Speaking of getting back to Hogwarts," Lily said. "Do you happen to know who the new Head Boy is?" She looked at Remus expectantly.

"No," he answered. "Do you?"

Her face drooped a bit. "No. No one seems to. I'd hoped it was you and you were just being your usual unassuming self about it."

"Sorry, but no," Remus said. "Do you know who the Head Girl is, then?"

"Well, actually," she said, smiling modestly, "I am."

James looked pleased. "Really? That's great."

"Thank you," she said. "But I'm not so sure it is, now."

"Why not?" James asked.

"Because of the Head Boy. I was looking forward to it when I thought it was Remus, but now, I'm afraid it must be Evan Rosier."

James didn't look nearly as concerned as Lily. "Why do you think that?" he asked.

She frowned. "Because I've asked both the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw prefects, and it isn't either one of them."

"You don't like him?" asked Peter.

"I don't have anything against him personally," said Lily. "But he's friends with Sev." She shot James a look that said for him not to say anything. "And I don't think he'll be very happy to work with _me_, seeing as I'm a Muggleborn and none of Sev's friends ever seemed to be fans." She frowned again.

"Well," said James. "I don't think you should worry about it. Dumbledore might be eccentric and even seem a bit barmy now and then, but he wouldn't make a Death-Eater-wannabe Head Boy."

"Didn't you hear me?" she said in frustration. "It isn't Remus, and it isn't Jeffrey Daniels or David Lewis. That's all of the prefects except Rosier."

"Who said it had to be a prefect?" James asked.

Remus got a funny feeling. James acted like he knew something, but Lily was too distracted to have noticed, apparently.

"It's always a prefect, isn't it?" she snapped.

"Usually," James admitted mildly. "But it obviously isn't written in stone that it has to be."

The funny feeling intensified as Remus remembered what Dumbledore had told him_. "I haven't lost my mind." _

Remus started to grin_. Surely not_…

James apparently caught the grin out of the corner of his eye and he glanced over at Remus. He must have read Remus' face and his eyes answered, twinkling behind his glasses, and the corners of his lips tugged, but he fought the smile.

_Mother of Merlin_, Remus thought. _Dumbledore _has _lost his mind_.

Lily noticed the look on Remus' face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I was just thinking you may soon be wishing Evan Rosier _was _the Head Boy," Remus said cryptically.

James shot him a look which made Remus chuckle.

"What does that mean?" Lily was beginning to look wary.

"Do you have something to show us, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Now you mention it…" James reached into his pocket and pulled out something shiny. He held it up, looking pleased, and Lily's wasn't the only jaw that dropped.

James just sat there with his usual confident air.

Lily was the first to blink. "Wha—where did you—that's not—" She blinked again. "_You're _not the Head Boy?"

But her face was no more amazed than Peter and Sirius'. They were both gawking at James like he'd grown a second head. James continued smiling haughtily.

"You're _not_, are you?" Sirius demanded in disbelief. "That's Moony's, _right_?"

"No," Remus repeated.

"Yes, it is!" Lily laughed nervously. "Come on, Remus. I know you're a good actor, but even you can't make me believe this!"

"Honestly, Lily," Remus said. "It's not mine."

"But…he's not…it's usually…how…" she sputtered.

"Has Dumbledore gone round the twist?" Sirius said completely dumbfounded.

"Oi," James said, coming down a peg. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You mean you really _are_ the new Head Boy?" Lily asked once more, sounding like she was beginning to accept it, even if it did scare her a little.

"And looking forward to working _very _closely with the new Head Girl." James waggled his brow.

For possibly only the second or third time in all the years Remus had known Lily, she was apparently speechless, her mouth hanging slightly open.

And a slight glow started rising in her cheeks again. James was having quite an affect on her, Remus thought. _Good for James. _

Sirius saved her from the embarrassment she might have felt when he said to James, "Why didn't you say something?"

"Honestly, when I got the badge, I figured it was really Remus' and you lot were taking the mickey out of me. I've been waiting for one of you—" He waved his hand around at Sirius, Remus, and Peter, "—to say something. When you didn't, I finally sent an owl to Professor McGonagall asking if it was a joke, and she sent me this." He pulled a folded note from the same pocket in which he'd kept the badge, and handed it to Sirius. "It came this morning."

Sirius read, and then looked up, eyes glazing over in amazement. "Godric's gargantuan gonads…" He handed the note to Remus.

Remus read it aloud.

_No, Mr. Potter, it is not a joke. I trust that you will not treat it as such. Furthermore, Professor Dumbledore assures me he has not lost his mind. I hope you do not prove him wrong. _

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

"Bloody hell," said Peter, awed. "Prongs…Head Boy…"

"I can't believe it," said Lily, looking thunderstruck.

"Alright…" said James, shortly. "You lot are going to give me a complex. Is it really that far fetched that Dumbledore might think I could do this?"

"I don't think so," said Remus. "Congratulations, Prongs. I think it's brilliant."

"Thanks, Moony."

"I don't know about brilliant," said Lily, still looking astounded, "but it's definitely a very Dumbledore thing to do."

"Which means it must be brilliant," Remus argued amiably.

"Maybe so," said Lily. "I suppose he has his reasons. Congratulations." She reached out to shake James' hand.

James smiled as he took it. "Thank you—partner."

Remus bit back a smile when he saw the bloom on Lily's cheeks yet again.

"Well, the way this'll make Slytherin heads explode will be brilliant, at any rate," said Sirius. "Watch your back, Prongs."

"I always do, Padfoot."

"Does this mean we don't get to sneak out of the castle anymore?" Peter asked.

"It better not," said Remus. "Or _I'll _get a complex. Why would you respect _his_ authority while trampling all over mine? Granted I was just a lowly prefect, but still."

"Good point, Moony. We'll have to make sure we still break the rules, just to be fair," said Sirius earnestly.

"I think that's my cue to leave." Lily, pushed her chair back. "I don't want to hear this."

"Right," said James. "Maintain plausible deniability."

Lily looked at him like he was a nutter, but laughed. "Right… So, I'll see you lot on the first."

"Bye," Sirius, and Peter said.

"Be Careful," Remus added.

"See you at the prefect meeting," James said, smirking happily.

She hesitated for a moment and then said, "You really _are_ the Head Boy?"

He nodded. "I really am."

"Blimey…" she breathed, and walked away shaking her head in amazement.

James watched her all the way to the corner where she turned into the Leaky Cauldron courtyard.

"So, when are you asking her out?" Peter asked, grinning when James turned to him.

James didn't smile, though, but looked quite serious. "When she's ready."

"What do you mean? I think she _is_ ready, mate," said Peter.

"Nah, she isn't," James said, though he didn't sound discouraged.

"I'm not so sure," said Sirius. "I think I have to agree with Wormtail. I think she might actually be willing to go out with you, if you asked her. She obviously doesn't think you're as much of a bigheaded prat as she used to."

"Gee, Padfoot…Thanks for the pep talk," James said sarcastically.

"I said she'd be willing to go out with you."

"But that's not good enough," said James. "I don't want her to just be _willing_ to go out with me. I figure, if I play my cards right, in a few weeks, she'll not only be willing to go out with me; she'll be _dying_ to."

Remus smiled at James, both his determination and confidence that Lily would be 'dying' to go out with him if he only gave her enough time. _Typical Prongs_…

"I'm impressed, Prongs," Remus said. "That shows great restraint on your part. I think you've learned something called patience."

"Mum says patience is a virtue," James said, handling the needling well.

"Good things come to those who wait, my mum always adds," said Remus.

"Or as I always say, the girl gets chatted up by a less patient bloke in the mean time," said Sirius. "Patience is over-rated."

"You just say that because you don't have any," said James.

"When it comes to women, I don't really need any, do I?" Sirius said, only half joking.

"You bloody wanker," said James.

Laughing at his friends, it suddenly occurred to Remus that, even with all the talk of women and going out, he hadn't even been thinking of Lindi. Well, he hadn't thought of her for at least fifteen minutes.

He supposed it was a start.

They paid their check and made the way to the courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron, where Sirius had parked his motorbike.

"Who wants a ride?" he asked.

Remus grimaced and put his hand on his stomach. "I think I'll stick with Apparating. You don't want to wear my fish and chips down your back."

"I'll have a go," said Peter. "If you promise to take it easy, or you'll be wearing _my_ lunch."

"You wusses," said Sirius, throwing a long leg over the seat of the motorbike. "Come on, Wormtail; I'll be gentle with you."

Peter climbed on behind him, not caring that Sirius was condescending. Remus didn't care either. Sirius would have been even more degrading if either of them vomited down his back.

Sirius threw James the key to his flat and stomped on the kick starter. The bike rumbled to life and Peter grabbed on for dear life even before Sirius had turned the motorcycle around for takeoff. James looked at Remus and laughed at the look on Peter's face as they shot into the air over the head of a man who nearly hit the pavement. The poor man stood up cursing and shaking a fist at Sirius' back.

James, still laughing, told Remus the address and Apparated.

Remus focused on the address and started to spin, but before he could finish, the door from the Leaky Cauldron opened.

"Remus!" Dorcas Meadows called, stopping him in mid-turn.

"Hello, Dorcas," he said, working to maintain his balance. She had surprised him so that he was glad he didn't Splinch himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," she said. "But I'm glad I caught you. Are you in a hurry?"

"James, Sirius, and Peter are expecting me, but I have a few minutes."

"Good. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." She led him to a small bench against the side wall and sat down, making room for him to join her, which he did.

"I know your friends are waiting, so I'll just get right to it." Her demeanor caused him some concern. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what she had to say.

"I wanted you to know that some details are coming out about Will's—murder." She flinched slightly when she said the word.

Remus got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why did she want him to know about this? Did this mean that it was somehow significant to him? Was it going to put Lindi in even more danger?

She glanced around to check that they were alone. "This is still confidential, and won't be released for publication until more details are confirmed." She paused and looked at him to see that he understood he wasn't to say anything.

"I understand."

She nodded and then, with apparent effort said, "I have a friend at the Department of Law Enforcement who keeps me informed, off the record, for now. Anyway, I've known since they found Will—his body—that he'd been attacked by—by some sort of _animal_—" She paused and collected herself. "I didn't know if that's what had killed him, or if it happened after he was already dead, but—but it didn't take long for them to determine he'd been killed by a—a werewolf."

She gave him a sympathetic look. Remus felt the color draining from his face. With Will's work on the Werewolf Capture Unit, and in particular, his work investigating Greyback, Remus had feared this.

"From the condition he was in," she said, voice straining to stay firm, "I thought it might have been more than one."

Remus' blood ran cold.

"He was—he was in such bad shape."

Remus could tell it pained her greatly to tell him, both for the pain it caused her to remember, and for _his _sake. But she was strong. He didn't know what to say and remained silent as she went on.

"Now, they've determined that there were at least four and probably five."

"Oh my God," he murmured, horrified.

"It was a set up," she continued, through sheer force of will. "The investigators believe the werewolves captured him and held him for the week prior to the Full Moon. He'd been missing that long. It appears that they released him into the woods a few minutes before they transformed." She paused again and a shiver ran through her body.

Remus felt sick. He thought of Bodach Thanater and the werewolf hunts he'd held in the late 1800's. Perhaps the werewolves had thought of him when making their own plans. They had intentionally set Will out as prey for their mass hunt.

"They made his murder into a sick game," she said, voice finally cracking as a tear filled her eye.

"I'm so sorry, Dorcas," he said, inadequate as it was, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Me, too, Remus." She sniffed and screwed up her composure. "Anyway, it's not going to make things better for—werewolves, either."

For _you_, he knew she meant, as if he needed to be told.

"Was Greyback involved?" he asked out of genuine interest, but also to keep from dwelling on how this affected _him_ personally. Remus felt sure the monstrous Greyback had been.

"There's no evidence tying him to it, yet," she said with disappointment. "I can't believe he wasn't behind it or coordinating it, though he doesn't seem to have been physically involved in Will's actual abduction. But hopefully, they can get one of the others to testify against him. They have two in custody, now. Will left clues about the ones holding him captive in the ruins where they kept him. Apparently, they hadn't thought to check to see that he'd scratched some names into the bottom of a rock." She looked so proud of Will.

And so sad.

It broke Remus' heart. "That was good thinking," he said.

"Yes, it was. Needless to say, it's really helped with the investigation, but they're still working on the case. One of the investigators was a good friend of Will's and he won't rest until they've got everyone involved. I don't know how long that might take, but I wanted you to know, so you don't have to read it in _The Daily Prophet_ when it comes out. Assuming they let it…" Her voice was full of disdain at that last.

Did that mean she thought this was related to Voldemort? Remus knew she disapproved of the way the publishers shielded some of the truth about what was going on out of fear of reprisal from Voldemort or his supporters. Plus, Will had been working to find links between Greyback and Death Eaters. Had he found them? Remus prayed he hadn't. Most people thought werewolves were bad enough on their own, but _Death Eater werewolves…_

Remus cringed at the thought.

As important as it was for people to know the truth, so they could be prepared, a small part of Remus almost wished this news could be kept secret, even—or _especially _if it turned out that Voldemort was involved. He knew it was cowardly and dishonest of him, but he couldn't help it.

Still, he knew hiding from the truth only made it worse when it finally came out and something like this would inevitably come out.

"Thank you for telling me," he said, rather numb. _And speaking of hiding the truth_…. "Does Lindi know?"

"Not yet. I've been so worried about her; I haven't had the heart to tell her. She isn't taking his death well, as you might expect. It's going to take her time to…" She left the sentence hanging. They both knew Lindi would never 'get over it' regardless of how much time she had. "Anyway, this is only going to make it harder for her, but she knows he was—" Another small shiver passed through her. "Well, she knows there's a reason she wasn't allowed to see him. Still, when she finds out about him being kept—tormented for so long, knowing what they had planned for him…" Her face pinched up and Remus thought she might actually break at last, but she gathered her strength. "Lindi won't bear that well, just yet."

She gave him another sympathetic look. He nodded his understanding. Things just kept getting worse…

"I can't keep it from her for too much longer, though," Dorcas said, resigned. "I don't want her to hear it from someone else, or worse, read it in the paper."

"When do you expect it to come out?" Remus asked.

"Not for at least another two or three weeks, I think. Hopefully, when she gets back to Hogwarts, she'll be distracted and be a little stronger. I'll hold off telling her as long as I can."

Remus nodded again. He didn't see how the circumstances could be any worse. Will had obviously suffered horribly. He had been trapped and stalked by true monsters—werewolves—and not only while they'd been transformed. They'd planned it while human, if you could call them that. These were monsters through and through. They'd given the anti-werewolf crowd quite a load of ammunition to use against them this time.

And Lindi was soon to learn of it…

_Luckily she's already moved on,_ he thought bitterly. _And you might as well now. If there ever was a chance that things might have worked out, this surely killed it._

* * *

Remus could barely remember the address of Sirius' flat when he'd finally finished talking with Dorcas, but fortunately, he didn't have to risk ending up in the wrong neighborhood. James showed up just as Remus was going into the courtyard to attempt the Apparition.

"There you are!" James said. "What have you been doing? I was beginning to think you'd been waylaid."

"I _was_, in a manner of speaking," Remus said, still shaken from Dorcas' news. "I'll explain when we get to Padfoot's. What's the address again?"

"Number Eight, Harrington Place, Bath. His flat is on the top floor. I'll see you in a minute, right?"

"Yes, I'm coming now."

He met James on the pavement in front of a row of handsome four-story Georgian homes. Their façade of sand-colored brick shone bright in the setting sunlight, quite different to the shabby darkness of number 12 Grimmauld Place. Remus figured that was one reason Sirius had chosen this as a home of his own. They entered through the portico and climbed the three flights of stairs to Sirius' place. James didn't knock, but opened the door into the rather sparsely furnished flat. Peter was sitting on a Victorian style settee, rather unexpected for Sirius' taste, and had his feet up on a mahogany coffee table. Two unmatched reclining chairs flanked the sitting area. A new wireless sat on a rickety looking stand in the left corner and there was a small square pub table and four chairs standing in the dining area behind the settee. The ivory walls were bare but for a Gryffindor banner over the mantle in the living room and a mirror on the wall behind the table.

Clanking sounds came from what was apparently the kitchen.

"Where've you two been?" Peter asked.

James turned to Remus for a reply and, kicking off his shoes by the door, walked over and dropped down on the settee next to Peter, propping his feet up, too.

Sirius came through the kitchen door carrying a bowl of crisps and his wand which was pointed at four bottles of Butterbeer he was Levitating in front of him.

Glad for the slight distraction and chance to put off telling Dorcas' news, Remus walked toward Sirius. "You have a nice place, Padfoot," he said, taking two of the Butterbeers and handing them to Peter and James.

"Thanks. The settee was Uncle Alford's, just so you know."

Remus chuckled and took one of the remaining Butterbeers for himself and sat the other on the end table for Sirius, who set the bowl of crisps in the middle and took one of the side chairs, propping his big feet up on the end of the coffee table with the others.

"Alright, Moony, so who waylaid you?" James asked impatiently. "You looked shaken up when you came out."

Remus sat down in the last open chair and twisted the cap off his Butterbeer before answering. "Dorcas Meadows."

He filled them in on everything she had told him. They listened so quietly that during his pauses, he could hear the fizzing in the bottle he held. It reminded him to take a sip before it went flat and to wet his mouth. It was going dry as he told the awful news.

"Bloody hell, Moony," Peter said when Remus had finished. "That's bad news."

That was the understatement of the month.


	63. Piling On

**Chapter 62 Piling On**

_A/N: Thanks go to Colores/Fresca for another really helpful beta job._

* * *

Sirius apparently thought he had just the thing to take Remus' mind off of Dorcas' lousy news about Will's murder at the hands of werewolves.

"Come and help me decide where to hang my new posters," he said. "I'm bored of the bare walls and I found some really good ones."

Since this seemed like more fun that sitting around staring at each other, not knowing what to say to Remus, they all dragged themselves up and followed Sirius to his bedroom. It was even more sparsely furnished than the living room. There was a platform bed without a headboard, but Sirius had obviously splurged on new linens, as there was a new Gryffindor-red coverlet and matching red and gold striped drapes. There was a dresser, and next to the bed was a wood crate turned on its end to serve as a nightstand. Sirius strode across the room to the crate and pulled out three long tubes and laid them on the bed.

"Now then," he said, getting right to business. He waved his wand at the first of the tubes. It unrolled exposing a very good-looking blond woman in a revealing red one-piece swim suit. Her golden waves of hair and mouth full of white teeth were dazzling, but Remus found his eyes drawn to the rather revealingly thin fabric of her swim suit. He felt his cheeks warming and, though he didn't realize it, he wasn't thinking about Dorcas' awful news anymore. Sirius' plan was working.

"Wowza..." Peter's eyes were wide and he had a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeah, lovely, isn't she?" Sirius nodded, gazing at it appreciatively for a minute, and then waived his wand at the next roll. Another lovely blond woman smiled out at them, this one in a tantalizingly skimpy pink bikini. The warmth in Remus' cheeks was spreading.

"You know, Death Eaters are idiots," said James thoughtfully. "Because there is _nothing_ wrong with those Muggles."

And they were clearly Muggles, for the women on the posters were completely frozen. As much as Remus enjoyed the wizard photographs, he thought there was something to be said for capturing a single perfect image and freezing it for posterity. And speaking of perfect images…

Sirius unrolled the third and last poster and Remus caught his breath. At first glance, he'd immediately thought of Lindi, but it was another beautiful dark haired woman, and this one was in a white mini-dress that was so tight it might have been painted on. Her long tanned legs were straddling a strange-looking motorbike with the front tire sticking far out in front of the handlebars. Remus wasn't as enamored of motorbikes as Sirius was, but he _was_ rather partial to brunettes, at least ones that favored Lindi, and he had to admit that the way this one was draped over the bike was very sexy.

_Almost as sexy as Lindi… _

As Sirius watched the poster flatten out on his bed, he made a guttural lustful sound.

"Um _hmm_…" Peter grunted his agreement.

"So, did you get that for the bike or the girl?" asked James, eyeing it studiously.

"Both," said Sirius, not taking his hungry eyes off the poster.

"Well, at least you've given yourself some variety this time," James said. "At your mum's, they were all blondes. Now you just need a redhead."

"Good idea." Sirius seemed to come out of his trance. "Think Evans will let me get a picture of her in a bikini on my bike?"

"For your sake, I hope not," James said calmly. "I'd hate to have to gouge out your eyes."

Sirius laughed. "So, who do I put where?"

It was a good distraction from the news about Will, but the brunette bombshell reminded Remus of Lindi so much that he could hardly take his eyes off her, and he was of little help placing the other posters.

"I think Moony'd just stick the brunette on the ceiling over his bed and be done with it," said Peter after a few minutes. "And we'd never see him again."

Remus' cheeks blazed.

"I wonder why," said James in a facetious tone that said he knew exactly why.

_Uh oh…_

"Why?" asked Sirius as he stuck the red swim suit to the wall over his dresser. "Is Moony coming around to appreciate bikes?"

"I think it's the Lindi lookalike in a skin-tight dress he appreciates," James teased.

_Ah, crap…_

"Can't say that I blame him," said Peter. "Lindi might not be caught dead in a picture like that, but that woman really does favor her."

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Sirius finished attaching the blond to the wall and walked over to take the brunette. He studied the poster briefly. "I guess they do look something alike, now you mention it."

Remus held his tongue, though he wanted to point out that it was hard to miss the resemblance, even though Lindi was still prettier.

_Crap_…and his friends had been doing such a good job distracting him…

He returned home the next morning and the last few days of summer crept by. Finally, September 1, 1977 arrived.

It was a very bittersweet day for Remus, the first day of his seventh and last year at Hogwarts. If he had been going back with the prospect of spending these last sweet months in the company of the woman he loved, it might have been less bitter, but, of course, he wasn't.

Still, he was determined to enjoy the trip, and the year, as much as humanly possible. Knowing, or rather, _not_ knowing what the 'real' world held for him made it all the more important for him to make the most of the time he had left within the protective walls of Hogwarts.

He knew he better enjoy it while it lasted, even without Lindi.

Passing through the barrier at King's Cross, the usual thrill coursed through him at the sight of the Hogwart's Express gleaming in the morning light. The powerful image never failed to excite him. Already, students were bustling about, meeting up with friends they hadn't seen all summer. Even the obvious presence of security wizards couldn't dampen the current of excitement that bristled in the air.

He climbed aboard the train and began the search for his friends, or a compartment if they hadn't arrived. He wanted to stow his things before reporting to the prefect meeting. He was actually looking forward to it, expecting the looks on the faces of the other prefects when James walked in to be a real treat.

He walked through the train on his way toward the rear car where the Marauders usually sat. It was still relatively empty, but he spotted fourth year Hestia Jones alone in a compartment flipping through a magazine, looking bored. He smiled to himself wondering how long it would be before she passed the magazine along to Sirius, who enjoyed the pictures of glamorous, often scantily clad women far more than Hestia seemed to.

"Reading the articles helps me with my French," she'd admitted once. "Otherwise, they're a waste of good parchment."

He walked on until he'd decided his friends weren't on the train and took one of the last compartments. He stowed his things and, as he sat waiting for his friends, he couldn't help keeping an eye on the platform for Lindi to arrive. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered, knowing that she always met the train in Hogsmeade, but he'd read in an article that morning, from the gossip monger Rita Skeeter, that Lindi had been in London the night before. Skeeter had discovered Lindi having dinner with Ludo Bagman.

Remus hadn't wanted to read the report, but hadn't quite been able to help himself. Reading about them together had made him feel sick to his stomach.

Sitting on the train, Remus' mood sank just thinking about it and he was very happy when James and Sirius showed up, and Peter mere moments after them. Soon, the whistle blew for all aboard and Remus had to leave for his prefect meeting. James wanted to wait until the last minute, the better to make a grand entrance.

Remus got his first glimpse of Lindi as he made his way towards the front of the train. She was sitting in a compartment with Leanna, Constance Powers, and a couple of other girls, whose faces he couldn't see. Obviously she had boarded while Remus was distracted by the arrival of his own friends. Lindi had her back to the door, facing Leanna, but Leanna spotted him through the window and she _didn't _smile. He picked up his pace and hurried on, his heart sinking.

When he arrived, the other prefects were already present and Lily stepped in right behind him. "Where's the Head Boy?" she whispered in his ear, but before he could answer, she added, "Let me guess, planning a grand entrance?"

She rolled her eyes when Remus answered with a grin, and the two of them took a seat as the shrill whistle of the train signaled their departure.

James opened the compartment door as the train lurched forward and just as the prefects were finally starting to wonder just who the Head Boy was.

Before James could even enter, Slytherin sixth year Lydia Pritchard snarled at him, "What do you want, Potter? You aren't allowed in here. It's only prefects, not prats!" She looked around at the others as if for approval. Most of the Slytherins sniggered.

James smiled. "Oh, really? Well then, Evans," he said, turning to Lily, whose lips were pressed rather tightly together as if to keep from smiling, "I don't see a _prefect_ badge. Perhaps you should leave with me."

"She's Head Girl, since you apparently can't read," Lydia spat. "Get lost, Potter."

More sniggering from the Slytherins, but James seemed unfazed. "No, I don't think I will, thanks, since it's not _just _prefects."

As he casually reached into his pocket, Evan Rosier spoke up.

"Like she said, it's not for bloody Gryffindor gits, either, Potter. Seriously, sod off. We have business—" His voice trailed off and he stared at the shiny silver badge James held up.

"What the…" Regulus Black said, stunned.

He wasn't the only one. Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked confused, though in a far less horrified way.

"Oh," said Phyllis Haney, the Ravenclaw sixth year, looking as if a light had gone off in her head. "Remus must have dropped his badge."

She turned and smiled at him. "Congratulations, Remus! Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it isn't mine," he said, smiling back. He turned to James. "Shall we get this meeting started, James?" He grinned wider. "Or should I say, _Head Boy_?"

"No…" Rosier breathed slowly, blank faced. "Not even Dumbledore would be that stupid."

"That's enough, Rosier," snapped Lily, finally speaking up. "Yes, Potter is the new Head Boy, so show him a _little_ respect, won't you?"

"Respect?" snarled Rosier. "This has to be some sort of joke! How could he be made Head Boy? He wasn't even a _prefect_! He's lost more points than half the school combined and I'm supposed to show _him_ respect?" Rosier was turning red with rage.

"Dumbledore's lost what little's left of his mind, or I must be dreaming," said Lydia.

"More like a nightmare!" snarled Rosier.

"I scare you that much, Rosier, that you have nightmares about me?" James asked smoothly. "Interesting... Do you dream of me often?"

Rosier bolted out of his seat, almost knocking the table over. He was reaching for something in his pocket, but before he had it, James had his wand out and pointed in Rosier's livid face.

"Don't think about it," James said deadly serious. "I'm Head Boy, and you'll have to live with it. If you can't, perhaps the Headmaster will need to replace you with someone who can, but for now, the fun is over. We have business to discuss."

"Well, congratulations, James," said Vivian Podmore, the fifth year Hufflepuff prefect. She smiled and batted her long eyelashes. She was a pretty girl with wavy straw colored hair that fell to her shoulders. "Here. We'll make room." She started to slide over in the seat.

"Actually," Lily said quickly. "You need to sit over here." She slid over in her seat, crowding into Remus.

Vivian looked disappointed, but James didn't seem to care. He moved towards Lily. "If you insist," he said, smiling with great satisfaction.

"So you can see the Head Boy and Girl notes," Lily said, her cheeks going pink.

"_Riight_," James said, looking so well chuffed that Remus feared James might actually wink at her or something, but thankfully, James wasn't a complete idiot.

The rest of the meeting, while tense, was uneventful. Rosier and the other Slytherins sat fuming, but otherwise didn't say much. Within half an hour, Remus and James returned to their compartment. The rest of the trip to Hogwarts passed without incident.

There was a slight drizzle falling when they clamored off the train onto the platform at Hogsmeade and they hurried with the crowd of students to the carts waiting to take them to the castle. In the flurry, Remus couldn't see Lindi, try as he did. Of course, he didn't know why he bothered. It wasn't as if he was going to ask her to ride with him or anything.

She was already seated at the Ravenclaw table with her back to Gryffindor's when he filed in with his friends. He tried not to stare at her, but since he hadn't seen her since Will's funeral, it was difficult to resist the temptation, even though he could only see the back of her head, except when she turned and revealed her profile. Her perfect nose, soft full lips, cheekbones that seemed slightly more chiseled than he remembered… Had she lost a bit more weight?

The Sorting of the first years gave him a much needed distraction from her, but once it was over, he'd felt the urge to look at her again, and again… Five minutes into the actual feast and he wished he'd taken her lead and sat with his back to _her_, since Leanna looked up and caught him watching. The glare he received was nothing to the look Lindi shot him over her shoulder, after Leanna informed her about his staring.

It occurred to Remus that if he was going to continue the charade of not wanting to date Lindi, he might want to stop appearing so interested.

But over the next days, forcing himself to stop looking at her proved to be one of the most challenging things Remus had ever tried to do. This was especially true in the classes that they shared with few other students, like Ancient Runes. Not looking at her was made particularly difficult because the room was so small and round, being located in one of the smaller towers on the east side of the castle. Unless he sat right next to her, every time he looked up from his book he was looking nearly straight at her, and he didn't dare sit next to her. He tried very hard to keep his eyes on his book.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was a different story, however. She'd clearly passed her O.W.L. retest and since there were far more students enrolled, he found the crowded room provided him cover to steal a glance now and again. Of course, he didn't really understand why he kept torturing himself. Perhaps he found the agony of seeing her laughing with Severus Snape and Evan Rosier a much deserved punishment for having hurt her as he had. Granted, he got the feeling her laughter was a bit forced, as if she was doing it for _his_ benefit when she spotted him looking.

Regardless, he didn't like it. He could also barely contain the urge to hex Rosier into tomorrow every time he spotted the cad practically groping her with his eyes whenever she wasn't looking. Never mind that Rosier was rumored to be dating a sixth year Slytherin named Radella Lestrange…

Remus wouldn't have thought it possible, but he found some small comfort in the fact that Lindi was seeing Ludo Bagman, especially now that she was back at school and couldn't actually _physically_ see him. Rosier might have no qualms about cheating on his girlfriend, but Remus knew Lindi would never do such a thing.

Unfortunately, that bit of comfort was quashed with a stroke of Rita Skeeter's quill, barely two weeks into term.

Remus was resting in bed following the full moon when he decided to scan the copies of _The Daily Prophet_ he'd neglected over the previous days. Flipping to the Quidditch section, he read the report that Ludo had been spotted having dinner with another woman, and when confronted, Bagman hadn't denied the new relationship.

So, that was that. Lindi was officially available again. Remus' stomach knotted. He wondered how she was taking this breakup. Had she known before Skeeter's report? Would she be upset and not want to get involved with anyone else for a while? He hoped so….And then he felt guilty for it.

"Did any of you see the paper yesterday?' he asked a little while later when James, Sirius, and Peter returned from lunch with a plate of sandwiches and an apple for him.

"If you're talking about that tosser Bagman cheating on Lindi," said James, "Yeah, we saw it."

"Have you seen Lindi?"

"She was in Defense, and at the Great Hall," said Sirius lying back on his bed and unwrapping a Chocolate Frog.

"I saw her in Muggle Studies, too," said Peter.

"How is that class, anyway?" asked Sirius, getting off topic.

"It's not bad," said Peter, unenthusiastically.

Peter had decided to add Muggle Studies to his schedule so that he could be near Constance Powers. Peter had run into her in London towards the end of summer, and they'd hit it off, she having recently broken up with her boyfriend of two years when she'd discovered he'd been seeing her friend, Darlene Wilkins for a month.

After writing back and forth for the last couple of weeks before school started back, Constance had convinced Peter to sign up for Muggle Studies with her. Remus felt taking on another class just to be near a girl you'd only just started dating might be ill advised, but he had to admit, it was coming in handy.

This was due to the fact that Constance and Lindi were friends and House mates. Even if Constance had seemed closer to Darlene Wilkins than she had to Lindi, she'd never turned on Lindi as Darlene had, and now that Darlene had betrayed them both, Remus imagined Constance and Lindi might end up being even closer than ever. Besides, Lindi was taking Muggle Studies, too. Before their breakup, she had told Remus that she was considering it, after the new Muggle Studies teacher had helped her out with some research the year before.

So between spending time with Constance, and seeing Lindi, herself, in class, Peter had been able to give Remus updates. Granted, Peter hadn't yet learned anything of great interest.

"I don't think she trusts me not to tell you anything," Peter had said wisely, after the first week.

But Remus figured Peter surely would have discovered how Lindi felt about the breakup with Bagman.

"How was Lindi?" Remus asked to get the conversation back on track, as Sirius had just commented that the young witch who taught Muggle Studies was fairly attractive.

"Fine," said Peter uninformatively.

"Did she say anything about Bagman?" Remus pressed.

"Just that she hopes he's happy."

"Was that a _sincere_ hope he's happy or a sarcastic hope he's happy in a hope he drops dead of an STD way?" asked Sirius.

Peter sniggered, but shook his head. "No, I think she meant it. She didn't really say anything, but Constance told me Lindi's actually relieved she doesn't have to see him anymore. Apparently she thinks Bagman's a bit thick."

"_Thinks_? She should bloody well _know_ he is," said Sirius.

"It's not just that. She said he wouldn't keep his hands to himself and she really didn't like it," Peter continued, obviously enjoying the opportunity to present the news. Peter had argued that Lindi wouldn't be impressed with a bloke like Bagman, and it seemed he'd been correct.

"Lindi told Constance all this?" asked James.

"Nah, but Constance overheard her telling Leanna."

But Remus wasn't paying a lot of attention anymore. He was rather absorbed in the information about Lindi not appreciating Bagman's hands on her. That suggested there hadn't been a particularly physical relationship.

_Thank God…._

Though he knew it shouldn't matter to him one way or the other.

But it did.

September was slipping away, but Remus was acutely aware that his feelings for Lindi were not. It had been months since their breakup. Why did he still feel so strongly about her? Wasn't time supposed to at least deaden the pain? Quench the desire?

But every time he saw her, his heart still leapt into his throat. He continued to worry that he was ruining the charade by letting his feelings show. One morning in the last week of September, Remus opened the door to Ancient Runes and his eyes fell immediately on her. The golden rays of the morning sun were shining through the diamond panes of the window, lighting her from behind with an ethereal glow. She looked like an angel, and he wished desperately that he had a camera, so he could stare at her image for ever, but she jarred him back to reality when she raised her head and caught him looking—yet again.

However, the look she gave him this time wasn't quite the hostile one he was getting so used to receiving. If anything, she looked more confused than angry. Had she read the longing look on his face accurately this time?

Apparently she had….

Remus and Sirius were sitting in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room finishing an assignment when Peter came in. He'd been at the library with Constance and Lindi working on a Muggle Studies project.

"Where's Prongs?" Peter asked coming up beside them.

"He and Evans are working on October's prefect patrol schedule," said Sirius.

Normally Peter would provide some snide innuendo about this, but he didn't. Instead he looked quite serious and said, "Well, I've got news I think you'll find interesting, Moony."

Remus braced himself for what was coming. His first thought was that Lindi was dating someone new. _But who_?

Oh, he dreaded this. "What is it?" he asked calmly.

"We might want to go upstairs," Peter said, giving a pointed look to a group of third year girls who were paying too much attention to the Marauders and not enough to the scissors they were trying to charm. One pair had already got away and given a second year a very awkward hair cut. Some fourth years were taking turns trying to re-grow it and Remus feared they would never get his eyebrows even again.

But that didn't matter now…

He and Sirius shut their books and followed Peter up the staircase to their dormitory.

"So, what's Dellington up to?" Sirius said as soon as he'd closed the door behind them.

Peter dropped his book bag on his bed and sat down, looking directly at Remus. "Well, I'm not supposed to say anything, but I know you won't say I told you, and I think you might need to do something about it."

"Get on with it, Wormtail," Sirius snapped, seemingly almost as anxious to hear as Remus was.

"Right…Well, Lindi thinks Remus might still have feelings for her," he said.

Remus stared at him, not quite comprehending for a moment. He had been fully expecting to hear that she was dating someone.

"What?" he finally breathed.

"Yeah," said Peter, as if he found it equally amazing. "She thinks you might still like her."

_Well, she'd be right, wouldn't she_? thought Remus, but he couldn't quite speak just yet for the relief that she wasn't dating anyone.

"She told you that?" Sirius asked, sounding a bit stunned himself.

"Well, _Lindi _didn't. Constance told me after Lindi left. She said they've been talking about it."

"Who is _they_?" asked Sirius.

"Constance, Lindi and Leanna. They all think it."

"Did she say _why_ they think it?" Sirius asked.

Peter turned to Remus and, looking apologetic, said, "They said you keep looking at her like you do."

"_Crap_," Remus groaned out loud.

"Smooth, Moony," said Sirius. "Very smooth…Mister _I-can-hide-being-a-werewolf-for-over-six-years_, but I can't hide that I fancy someone." He shook his.

Remus knew Sirius was right, but his condescending attitude still chafed. "What do you suggest I do—" he snapped. "Gouge out my eyeballs so I won't be tempted to look at her?"

"It's a thought," said Sirius, smirking. "But I think I have a less painful and non-debilitating solution."

"Then please share it!" Remus said irritably.

"You need another girl."

Remus blinked.

"That's what I was going to suggest," Peter chimed in. "I thought of it when Lindi was obviously fishing for information about who you might be seeing. She isn't very good at it, you know? Being subtle I mean…She'd never make a spy, that's for cert. She finally just came right out and asked who you were dating."

Remus nearly smiled, despite himself. Memories of her blurting out embarrassing questions, like if he'd taken Darlene to snog in the broom cupboard, flooded back to him. Oh, how he missed her…

"What did you say?" asked Sirius.

"That he wasn't dating anyone, at the moment."

Sirius rolled his eyes in more disgust.

"Well, I thought about lying and making someone up, but what if they found out she didn't exist?" said Peter defensively. "Girls check those things, you know?"

"All right, all right…point taken," admitted Sirius. "So, we just have to get him someone real, for the next time they ask."

_Uh oh…_Remus didn't want to go out with anyone else. And he didn't want to use anyone like that. "I don't—"

"Look," Sirius interrupted Remus' argument. "Do you want her thinking you still care or not?"

Remus hesitated, because part of him _did_ want her to know the truth, but…

"No," he said dully.

"Right, then." Sirius clapped his hands together. "So, who do you want to go out with?"

_No one…_ But Remus only fell back on his bed, covered his face with his hands, and groaned.

"You think on it," said Sirius, with an apparent lack of sympathy for the horrible position Remus was in. "But you need to have it figured out soon, unless you want her to stay confused."

Several days went by, filled with worry over this new 'plan' and constant pestering by Sirius and Peter. Every time one of them saw a girl walk by, they'd look at him with raised eyebrows, or elbow him in the ribs.

James was mercifully quiet on the plan. He seemed to appreciate the pain it was causing Remus more than the other two did. He wasn't arguing with them _against _the plan, but he wasn't particularly pushing it either. Perhaps he, like Remus, hoped that the problem would just go away on its own.

"Just try harder not to look at her, Moony," James said, though he seemed to understand how hopeless that was.

"Or you could just tell her the truth," urged Lily, who had joined them in the nearly empty common room one evening following a meeting of the Head Boy and Girl with the Headmaster and Heads of House.

"Yeah, he could do that," said Sirius sarcastically. "If he wants to be really _stupid_."

"Since when is telling the truth _stupid_?" Lily shot back.

Remus noticed James had tensed as he looked back and forth warily between Sirius and Lily, but he didn't interrupt their discussion.

"Since she's closer to Snivellus and his Slytherin gang than ever," Sirius said. "It's too risky."

The muscles in Lily's jaw clenched. She turned away and stared into the crackling fire, clearly thinking hard about things, but she didn't argue further. For one thing, it was hard to argue with Sirius on that point, because Lindi _was_ spending a lot of time with Severus and his group of friends, at least in DADA, and according to even Lily, they often worked together in Potions. It made Remus' stomach roil. Of all people for her to turn to…

And it was his fault. This was not what he had intended when he broke up with her.

Had he been wrong? The thought haunted him as he climbed the stairs a short while later and got into bed. Sleep was a long time coming.

Unfortunately, things didn't get any brighter the next day.

Classes weren't bad, though he was having a bit of trouble in Charms. It was particularly frustrating for Remus, since the lesson was on the Patronus Charm. Even though most of the class was not even close to performing it, Remus knew he should be able to; he'd been doing it for over a year. However, he was only able to conjure an indistinct Patronus, rather than his usual corporeal one, a rather impressive lion.

Of course, he knew why he couldn't. He was finding it nearly impossible to set aside his misery over Lindi. He tried using Occlumency, but that didn't quite work, as clearing his mind didn't allow for him to focus on a happy memory. He hadn't progressed enough in his Occlumency to choose which memories to suppress and which to allow.

Knowing he wasn't doing very well in Occlumency, after having such a successful start, just added to his frustration. How had he let his feelings get in the way of his studies?

One glimpse of Lindi in the Great Hall over dinner that evening answered that question. He simply couldn't help it.

He considered that maybe Lily was right. Maybe he should just tell Lindi the truth.

As the idea bounced around in his mind, Kingsley Shacklebolt walked up to him and held out a slip of parchment. "That woman in the entrance told me to give this to you," he said, jerking his head toward the door. Dorcas Meadows stood watching, a rather sad smile on her face. Remus didn't really need to read the parchment, but he thanked Kingsley, unfolded and looked at it anyway.

_Dear Remus,_

_I said I'd let you know when the story would come out, so it will be in tomorrow's morning edition. It won't be easy to read, for you or Lindi, but at least they got Greyback. That should help. I hope you are well._

_Take care,_

_Dorcas_

_They got Greyback…_Remus reread. He could hardly believe his eyes. He looked up and Dorcas smiled again, more encouraging this time. Then, her eyes shifted to where Lindi was standing up as Kingsley walked away, apparently having given her a message from Dorcas, too. Lindi looked very pleased to see her friend, and it made Remus' heart ache to know that the news Dorcas was bringing would only torment Lindi.

_But they got Greyback. That should help…_Of course, Lindi was about to learn just how monstrous the attack was_…the attack by werewolves…_He realized Lindi would never again think of them as acceptingly as she had that day, so long ago in the Forbidden Forest, when she'd said she could _shagga_ werewolf.

_Them? No…she'll never think of _US_, that way again, _he thought with a stab of anguish.

_But they got Greyback! _He repeated it often over the next few days.

The article had been as difficult to read as he'd feared. Though the goriest of details had been only hinted, it wasn't hard to imagine what had happened to Will. Brutal was an understatement. Remus chose to skip over most of it and focused on the part about how one of the werewolves they'd captured, thanks to Will's clues, had made a deal that shortened his sentence, in exchange for turning evidence against Greyback. He'd decided to take the deal after spending a few weeks in Azkaban. Remus shuddered to think how awful the prison must be, if someone would prefer to be on Greyback's bad side. Of course, the werewolf probably hoped, as Remus did, that Greyback would be locked up for the rest of his life.

And then there was Lindi… If Greyback's imprisonment was a comfort to her, Remus couldn't tell. She had not come to classes the following day, and it was a day later when he finally saw her. In fact, he actually bumped into her coming around a corner. She was completely distracted, pale and exhausted looking, her eyes pink rimmed and puffy.

"Oh," she gasped, as he put his hands out to steady her. When she looked up into his face, there was that flash of recognition—and _longing_. The same look she'd given him for an instant at Will's funeral.

She was so fragile, staring into his eyes. He remembered his nightmare; the same aching look had been in her eyes as she was pulled under the waves. He wanted to save her…

He could follow Lily's advice and tell her the truth.

"_Yeah, he could do that—if he wants to be really stupid!_" Sirius' voice filled his memory.

But before he could think any further, her face flushed and her eyes began welling up. Looking confused and embarrassed, she pulled away and hurried off, leaving him feeling emptier than he ever had.

_Dammit_…he had wanted to save her from pain and suffering and he'd only added to it. None of this was what he had intended.

But what could he do now? If he told her the truth, she'd still be hurt, not to mention _horrified_, after what werewolves, his kind, had done to her cousin.

And it was just so dangerous. Only a day after the report on Will's murder had come out, groups had started staging protests at the Ministry, angry about what they considered lax laws regarding werewolves.

No, he still had to protect Lindi from all that, and protect _himself_, to be honest.

That evening, he sat alone at a table in the back corner of the library, working on a paper on Human Transfiguration that was due next morning, when a shadow crept over the desk and came to rest covering his notes. He looked up and found Mary MacDonald looking down at him.

"Hi, Remus," she whispered.

"Hello."

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"I don't know," he said, smiling kindly. "What do you need?"

"I need help with the bloody Patronus Charm. I can't do it to save my life and I just know we'll be tested on it tomorrow." Her hushed voice was slightly panicked.

"I doubt it, Mary," Remus said comfortingly. "That's a very advanced spell, even for N.E.W.T level. I'd be surprised if we have to do it for anything but extra credit, at least prior to N.E.W.T.'s."

"Really?" she said, relieved. "Well, I could definitely use some extra credit, anyway. I did poorly on the last exam." She looked at him hopefully.

"I don't know how much help I can be. Mine has been rather pathetic lately, but if you can give me a few minutes, I'll be finished with this essay and we can go work on it."

"Thanks, Remus. That would be great." She smiled and sat down across from him to wait.

Shortly, Remus put the last period on his parchment and looked up at Mary. "There." He sat the quill down and rolled up his parchment, screwed on the cap to his ink bottle and stacked everything neatly into his book bag.

"I really appreciate this, Remus." She smiled as she stood to go and Remus followed her around the stacks and towards the door, where he came face to face with Lindi. She'd just walked in, her arms laden with an enormous stack of books.

They froze and stared into each others eyes for a bit too long and he knew something dangerous really was happening. He had to do something other than stare at her like a lovesick pup.

"Hello, Lindi," he said, forcing a neutral tone.

"Hello," she answered, barely above a breathless whisper.

_Crap…do something…_ He noticed Mary standing by the door, behind Lindi, waiting and looking somewhat uncomfortable, and it came to him. He knew it was wrong, but… "I'm coming, Mary."

Lindi looked over her shoulder, and when she turned back, he could see in her face that she thought just what he'd expected her to think. Her cheeks blazed, and she wouldn't look him in the eye again. She walked off without another word.

He and Mary walked in a rather awkward silence, only broken by the occasional attempt at small talk by Mary, but Remus' heart wasn't in it. He could only muster a forced, "Yes, I hope so," when she asked if he thought Gryffindor would do well at Quidditch this year. They finally came to an open classroom, large enough for them to practice, and once they started working, it became easier for him to set aside what had just happened, though telling Mary how to cast the spell by focusing on a very happy thought was much easier than actually performing the task himself.

By the end of the lesson, she had conjured a few silvery wisps and was thrilled. He, on the other hand, was horribly disappointed and embarrassed by the silver flow from his wand, even though it was technically superior to Mary's. It was far below his potential. He had the feeling Mary understood his problem, having seen his face when Lindi walked away, but thankfully, she was too polite to mention it.

After returning to the Gryffindor common room, she thanked him again and went up to her dormitory. Remus scanned the room for his friends, but finding them missing, he climbed the spiral stairs to his own room. Peter and Sirius were there, each on his own bed working.

"Where is James?" Remus asked, unloading some of his things onto his bed. "Did he trade with someone so he could do patrol with Lily again?" Remus hoped hearing of James' good fortune would take his mind off his own misery.

"Nah," said Sirius, tossing his Human Transfiguration book aside. "No such luck. He had to go do something for Professor Flitwick. I'm not sure what, but Flitwick wanted him to bring his broomstick. Odd…but Flitwick's a bit odd anyway. I suppose it's from hanging round the Ravenclaw swots all day."

"Speaking of Ravenclaw swots…Didn't I see you hanging round with Leanna after dinner for a while?" Peter asked Sirius, grinning pointedly.

Sirius didn't answer, because at that moment, James pushed the door open and came inside, pitching his broomstick onto his bed, looking preoccupied.

"What's the matter?" asked Peter.

"What did Flitwick have you do?" asked Sirius.

"Chase down an out of bounds student," James answered, frowning.

"What, on brooms?" Sirius said laughing. "Was someone trying to escape the asylum?"

"You might say that," said James, though without any of Sirius' humor. "But not permanently; she said she just needed to _clear her head._"

The hair on Remus' neck stood on end. "Lindi?" he gasped.

James nodded slowly. "Though it looked more like she was trying to knock her head off than clear it."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"She was flying under the Quidditch stands, going in and out through the rafters—in the dark. I almost took _my_ head off on one of them trying to catch her. She was going so fast, I don't think she could hear me calling her over the wind in her ears. Blimey, she's a good flier!" he added appreciatively, as he sat down on his bed and started unlacing his shoes.

"Did she say why she was out there?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, but I don't believe her for a minute," James answered.

Remus, Sirius, and Peter looked at him, waiting for explanation.

"She said she was worried about a test tomorrow—In Muggle Studies. Come off it…_Lindi_, with her near photographic memory is worried about a _Muggle Studies_ test? What a load of rubbish! Now, if she'd had a practical in Defense, I might have believed her, but we know that's not it. Besides, Lily told me she saw her in the Library and that Lindi had run into a certain someone…" He looked at Remus pointedly. "And that _someone_ was leaving with a femalecompanion. Apparently, Lindi looked upset and didn't stay long."

Remus groaned, finally sitting heavily on the edge of his bed.

"What's this?" Sirius said, leaning forward from the back of his headboard and cocking a curious brow. "So, who was this _female companion_?"

"It wasn't like that," Remus said wearily. "It was Mary and I was just helping her with the Patronus Charm."

"But Lindi doesn't know that," Peter interjected. "Maybe you've solved your problem without even trying."

The satisfaction in Peter's voice was annoying to Remus, who wished he could share it, but how could he when he had only caused Lindi even more pain and trouble?

"How is she, now?" Remus asked James, ignoring Peter's comment.

"Safe in Ravenclaw Tower, where she'll be all week. Flitwick has placed her on _house arrest_ except when she's in class. No Quidditch practice, no Dueling practice…She's not even allowed to go to the library."

"Ouch," said Sirius. "That's cruel and unusual punishment to a swotty Ravenclaw."

"Does she at least get to eat?" asked Peter.

"Yes," said James. "She gets to go straight to and from the Great Hall and only gets twenty minutes per meal. Flitwick was livid. I think all this Death Eater crap has some of the teachers on edge. In any case, I don't think Lindi will be going for any more night flights for a while."

"Well, at least something good might have come of it," Remus said gloomily.

"More good than that came of it, Moony," said Sirius. "Wormtail's right. Seeing you with Mary obviously made her think you were seeing other girls. That's good." Then, on seeing the miserable look on Remus' face, he added, "Right?"

"Right," Remus said without conviction. He stood up and turned his back to his friends, unloading his book bag again as a way to end the conversation. He knew the others were looking back and forth between themselves, wanting to discuss more, but they respected his wish to let the subject drop.

Unfortunately, dropping the subject didn't make the troubles go away. In fact, they just seemed to keep piling on…

A few days after Lindi's house arrest was lifted, the Marauders were in the Dueling Hall, having just finished practice. A few of the teams were still working and it was Remus' turn to make sure the room was straightened and locked up. While they waited, he was making a few notes on the spells he planned to cover more thoroughly with some of the team, while James worked on a bit of homework he hadn't finished, owing to his Head Boy duties the night before. Sirius was lounging on a pile of dueling cushions, looking through a magazine Hestia must have passed along, while Peter looked over his shoulder.

"What does it say?—_Blimey_…" Remus heard Peter practically groan.

"I don't believe it," said Sirius. "Bloody hell!"

Remus and James both looked up. Peter's eyes were wide, taking in whatever was in the magazine, while Sirius shook his head in amazement.

"What is it?" James asked.

Sirius hoisted himself up off the floor. He held out the opened magazine for James to see. James' watched for a moment and his eyebrows rose. "Yeah…all right, that's cool and she's gorgeous, but…" He looked at Sirius questioningly.

"Look closer," Sirius said.

James' eyes grew round, just as Peter's had. "Great Godric…"

"Okay, what is it?" Remus asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"You won't believe it," said Peter, as Sirius closed the magazine and then opened it again, and handed it to Remus.

It appeared to be an advertisement and Remus read the black text that slowly appeared amidst an eerie swirling grey fog at the center of the black page.

_Ne crains pas la sombre._

"Do not fear the dark," it said, if he translated the French correctly. The fog engulfed the words and then new ones appeared.

_Utilisez-le à votre avantage. _

"Utilize it for the advantage—no—use it to your advantage," Remus thought quickly, for the words were again being swallowed by the fog and then…

_Madame Laetitia présenter_

_Magie Noire_

_Black Magic_…

The fog swirled more wildly. As it covered the lettering, it began to dissipate starting at the bottom of the page, revealing first a pair of sky high heeled black patent shoes, and then fishnet hose covered legs. Remus was pleasantly reminded of his birthday 'present' from his friends, Lindi in that little French Maid costume. His heart started to beat a little harder. More of the legs were revealed, and more…but no skirt came into view. Instead, through the remaining fog, a woman in no more than high cut black satin knickers and a shimmering black corset stepped forward looking quite dangerous, her wand gripped tightly in her fist. Her long dark hair billowed around her face, and the stormy grey fog swirled behind her violently, as though a fury were brewing at her command.

Remus found it unbelievably sexy and he could fully understand why Peter and Sirius had found it so intriguing. It was a tribute to the allure of the woman's face that he could tear his eyes away from that corset, but there was something about the smoky, heavily shadowed dark eyes that made his heart race and he felt as though he were under a spell. _They_ were Black Magic…

_Holy Crap_…

"Oi! Dellington!" Sirius' voice startled Remus.

He looked up and saw Lindi turn as she crossed the room for the door, having apparently just finished with her new team.

"What?" she asked, frowning when she saw who it was.

"Come here!" Sirius snatched the magazine out of Remus' hands.

"Why?" Lindi asked, but took a few wary steps towards them. She caught Remus' eye for a split second and looked quickly away, coming to a stand still. "What do you want?"

"Your autograph," Sirius said, straight faced.

"What are …" The color drained from her face as she caught sight of the advertisement Sirius held up. "Where did you get that?" She breathed out the words barely loudly enough to be heard.

"A friend gave it to me. Nice eh?"

She crossed the floor quickly and made a grab for the magazine, but Sirius pulled it out of her reach.

"Does that mean you want to sign it for me?" he taunted her, a dark smile on his lips.

Remus cast Sirius a disapproving glance but he wasn't looking. He was still smirking at Lindi.

"No," she said weakly. "May I have that?"

"Well, see, they're rather hard to come by here, being from France and all," Sirius said. "I think I'll keep it."

"Why?" she said, somewhat desperately, and a dark look flashed in her eyes. "In the market for lingerie, are you? I didn't know you were the type." She cast him a smug look when Peter and James both snorted at her unusually sharp and quick come back.

Sirius, however, didn't flinch. His grey eyes flickered unblinkingly back at her. "Well, I do like lingerie, but I admit that I prefer it on live women. Still, sometimes a picture has to do in a pinch. _If you know what I mean_." He waggled his brow wickedly. "This will come in _handy_ on some cold lonely night."

The way Lindi's mouth fell open indicated that his innuendo had not gone over her head. All the color and more rushed back into her face. Even James and Peter seemed shocked at his response. Remus did not like it one bit. Sirius had gone over the line.

"Oi, Sirius," Remus said sharply. "That is uncalled for!"

"No, I—"

But Sirius was cut off by Lindi. "Stop it!" she cried, and her anger wasn't aimed at Sirius. Her eyes bore into Remus', cold and full of rage. "Who are _you_ to tell anyone what's called for? It's got nothing to do with you! Why do you even _care_?"

Her words stung. _Because I love you!_ he wanted to shout, but... "Because no man should talk to a lady like that," he said, instead, feeling it was entirely inadequate even if true. He glared at Sirius to emphasize the point.

"I'm not sure a _lady_ would strut around in naught but her knickers for the entire world to see," Sirius said, his eyes meeting Remus' sternly. "But if she's going to, she should be able to handle hearing what that sort of thing can lead to."

Remus put his notes down and leaned forward from the wall, as if preparing for a fight. "Don't," he said, his tone now dangerous. No one, not even Sirius, was going to insult Lindi like that to Remus' face. Maybe the picture was a little risqué, but Lindi'd been under so much strain. She clearly wasn't herself…

She stood there, jaw clenched, breathing heavily, eyes flitting back and forth between the two young men. She seemed to be spooling herself up for something. Finally…

"Shut up, Remus!" she spat. "Mind your own business and leave me alone!" She turned, and looked Sirius straight in the face, brown eyes flashing like fire. "So—you like that—" Her head jerked to the magazine. "Do you?"

The muscles in Sirius' own jaw tightened. With only a brief glimpse at Remus' stunned and hurt face, he turned back to her and smiled ever so slightly. The look on his face gave new meaning to the term _devilishly_ handsome.

"Yeah…I like half-naked beautiful women. What can I say?"

"Yes…men do, don't they?" she said, the fire going cold in her eyes. She shot a glance toward Remus that hit him like a canon full of guilt and then looked Sirius in the eye again. "But you prefer them live."

"Of course."

Lindi swallowed, looking mildly sick, but determined. "Well, then, maybe we can do a swap."

Sirius cocked his brow. "What are you suggesting?"

"I think you know."

Sirius cut his eyes toward Remus again, clearly thinking fast. Remus looked into those cool grey eyes and wanted to tell him not to even think about it, but he didn't. Lindi had made herself quite clear; Remus had given up his right to have a say in this. Not that he wasn't going to have something to say to Sirius when they were alone…

Sirius looked back to Lindi, standing there, hands quivering, but holding firm. "Are you actually standing here, in front of everyone, offering me a—a _private showing_ in exchange for the magazine?" He smiled, amused.

Face turning from red to slightly green, Lindi took a deep breath and said, "Maybe I am, and why should I care who knows?"

Sirius watched her closely. She swallowed a couple of times and looked nearly ready to faint, but stood her ground. Remus was impressed in a horrified sort of way.

"Be careful, Lindi," Sirius said smoothly. "I might call your bluff."

"Who's bluffing?" she said, but her voice cracking and the rapid blinking of her eyes betrayed her emotions. She cleared her throat. "Let me have that." She nodded at the magazine again. "And then, when you're feeling—cold and lonely—let me know."

Sirius blinked slowly, and cast yet another glance at Remus. In his mind, Remus was screaming, _Don't you dare_, but the look in his eyes must not have conveyed his feelings.

Or Sirius chose to ignore them. He walked slowly to Lindi, until he was standing so close he had to look down at her. No doubt she could feel his breath on her face. "Let's go, then."

Remus heart nearly stopped.

"What?" Lindi peeped.

"All this talk has made me—_lonely_," Sirius said in a very husky voice, deeper even than usual.

"Wha—but—I—I—" she stammered. "I have to go to the library. I have to study. I have a test," she said, sounding relieved to have come up with a legitimate excuse.

"Oh, I think that can wait. I know you keep up with your work. Besides, tomorrow's _Saturday_. Which makes tonight perfect. We'll have loads of time to—study some of that _Magie Noire_," he said bending down with his mouth to her ear, lowering his voice to a seductive whisper.

Lindi looked like she was going to pass out. Remus felt like he was going to blow up. What the hell was Sirius doing? What was he going to do if she actually gave in? She clearly wasn't herself.

"Come on, let's go," Sirius said, taking her arm.

But she recoiled from him. To Remus' great relief…

Sirius let out a derisive snort.

"Be careful, Lindi," he said darkly. "That's a very dangerous game you're playing. If you aren't ready to run with the big dogs, you best leave that pretty little tail on the stoop. One of these days you're going to wag it in the wrong face. Not all the dogs are as well behaved as I am." He growled for good measure and then walked back to his cushion, lowering himself easily and reclining again as if nothing had happened. He opened the magazine and pretended to read, though his eyes weren't moving.

Lindi stood, stunned, her eyes welling with tears. She glanced around quickly at the rest of the Marauders, who were watching in embarrassed silence. The look she gave Remus was so full of misery and embarrassment, but most of all, _hatred_, that he couldn't bear it, and for the first time, he was the one who looked away.

He could hear her sob as she ran from the room.

"Lindi!" a girl's voice cried, and Remus looked back up and saw Lily being knocked aside as Lindi fled through the door.

After a questioning glance at the Marauders, Lily went flying after her.

_Good…Lily will take care of her_, Remus thought, sitting there guiltily…worthlessly.

Then he turned to Sirius...

* * *

_**A/N:** Well, I hope that wasn't too much of a disappointment after such a long delay. I wish I had a happier ending for you as a Christmas gift, but alas… :( Still, I'm glad to have something for you at long last. Merry Christmas! _


	64. A Crack in the Foundation

**A Crack in the Foundation**

_**A/N**: Do I really need to say I'm sorry for the horrid delay? :*/ Well, I am. You were probably also expecting a much longer chapter after such a wait, but I do have another chapter nearly ready. Honestly! I just need to find time to edit and format it. It's already beta'd and everything, so expect another in a much more timely fashion!_

_I'm very pleased to announce that my very first beta, deanine, is now my current beta again. It is so exciting to have her back, for as long as I can keep her. Thank you, deanine!_ :D

_Finally,_ d_ue to the delay, I remind you that Lindi has just run from the room after Sirius was less than kind to her. ;)_

* * *

The sound of Lily's voice calling after Lindi echoed down the corridor.

A long moment passed before cool grey eyes looked up from the magazine, revealing nothing of what Sirius was thinking. Remus grew angrier by the second. He had always been a bit awed by Sirius' coolness, but at times, Sirius was down right cold, and Remus didn't find him cool or awesome in the least just now.

"What the devil was _that_?" he spat through gritted teeth, using all his restraint to stop himself shouting.

"A much needed lesson," Sirius answered in what could be his infuriatingly superior manner.

Remus was so livid he could hardly think straight. He ground his teeth so tightly they were in danger of cracking. Movement out of the corner of his eye reminded him that the room was still in use.

"Are you lot almost _finished_?" he snapped at four Hufflepuff girls who had stayed after practice. "I want to lock up!"

The third years stared at him, taken aback by his unusually harsh tone.

"Sorry, Remus," one said timidly.

"We were just working on a new spell we learned today," another added.

Shame flooded over Remus, which only made him angrier. All of this was turning him into someone he hardly recognized and who he really didn't like. Why was he taking his anger out on third years? Why had he let Lindi run away, embarrassed and probably feeling like some tart? Why had he let Sirius_ treat _her like one? Even if Lindi had told him to stay out of it, he shouldn't have!

_Maybe you shouldn't have lied to her in the first place. Then she wouldn't have felt the need to tell you to butt out._

"_I'm_ sorry," he said, contritely. "It's good that you're practicing. I just really need to lock up."

"Sure."

"Do you want some help straightening up?" asked a petite blond girl.

"No, thank you."

After they had left the room, Remus started gathering the scattered cushions, so he could get out of there. He realized that he needed to calm down, or he might say or do something he would regret. He definitely had things to say to Sirius, but he didn't want to get into it when his emotions were so high and volatile. Sirius didn't respond well to angry attacks. They tended to put his defenses up and cause him to react in kind, or even more angrily.

Yes, Remus needed to settle down first. Of course, as angry as he was, he figured it might take a while. Thinking about it, he threw a cushion into the storage cupboard so forcefully that it skidded across the floor into a tower of stacked buckets, which crashed down with a horrible clatter. He was painfully reminded of Lindi, falling over the buckets in this very cupboard, all those months ago. She'd run away from him then, too, but for very different reasons.

"Dammit!" he said out loud.

"Need some help with that, Moony?" James asked quietly. He was carrying a stack of cushions.

"No!" Remus started to tell James to butt out, but caught himself just in time. James was looking at him with understanding and sympathy, a true friend. Remus sighed. "Actually, yes," he said. "I'd really like to finish up so I can get out of here."

Peter and Sirius helped too, though Remus wished Sirius would just leave. He found himself hurrying away from any place Sirius was, and refused to look at him. It made him too angry. Sirius was already acting as though nothing had just happened. He was laughing with Peter about something. Honestly, sometimes it was as if the man had no feelings. He'd just humiliated Lindi; he'd infuriated Remus, and he knew it, but didn't seem to care.

After the room was in order, Remus gathered his books and made for the door without saying another word.

He heard Sirius ask, "What's his problem?"

"You've got to be kidding," James answered.

Remus couldn't and didn't _want_ to hear what was said next. He started up the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower, but changed his mind. He didn't want to go back, knowing Sirius and the others would be there soon. He decided to go to the library. The quiet and stillness would calm him.

But it didn't really. He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. What Sirius had almost done...

But what _had_ Sirius almost done? Surely he hadn't really intended to _do_ anything with Lindi. _Had he?_ It sickened Remus to even consider it. _Sirius wouldn't…_

But Sirius had done things Remus wouldn't have believed before.

They needed to talk.

As soon as he walked into the dormitory a half hour later, any calm he'd found in the library evaporated at the sight of Sirius, lounging comfortably on his bed, oblivious to the turmoil he'd caused in Remus' mind. Worse, he was still looking through that damned magazine, as if _trying_ to be an arse.

Remus crossed the room, dropped his books heavily on the bed and turned. "I want to know what you think you were doing back there with Lindi." His voice was deceptively calm.

Sirius didn't miss a beat. Still flipping through the magazine, though probably only for show, he said, "I told you; I was teaching her a lesson."

"A lesson," Remus responded, ire rising again, fast. "A lesson in what, _humiliation_? Treating her like a common tart is a _lesson_?"

"Yes, and one she hopefully learned once and for all," Sirius answered steadily, though he actually looked up and there was a steeliness in his voice indicating his defenses were going up.

"What is _that _supposed to mean?"

Sirius lowered the magazine onto his legs, giving Remus his full attention. "Just that she needs to think about the consequences of her actions, especially if she's going to try seducing the wrong man for the wrong reasons."

"She wasn't trying to _seduce_ you," Remus said, voice starting to rise and taking a step towards Sirius' bed. "She just wanted the bloody picture!" He was so angry, he hardly knew what he was saying and really didn't care. He was mainly arguing to keep himself from hexing Sirius and having done with it.

"Oh come on, Moony!" Sirius swung his feet off his bed and stood up, the magazine folded in his hand. He was putting himself on an even level with Remus, since he wouldn't want to fight sitting down, if it came to that. The way Remus was clenching his fists, he probably thought it just might. "You know as well as I do that if she only wanted the picture she would have just argued a little harder. She isn't going to—to _prostitute_ herself for a bloody picture!"

Remus thought his head might explode and was so enraged he couldn't even speak.

Sirius went on. "You know _exactly _what she was doing and it was a cheap thing to do, coming on to me in front of you, just to make you jealous!"

"Don't call her _cheap_!" Remus took another step towards Sirius, fists still clenched.

"I didn't!" Sirius didn't back off and the two friends were almost nose to nose. "But what she _did_ was a cheap thing to _do_! She never would have acted like that if you hadn't been there! And you _know_ it!"

Remus clenched his teeth tighter, and he felt his hand move towards his pocket. The urge to hex Sirius was almost overwhelming.

Probably because Remus knew Sirius was correct. That really chafed.

"I deserved it," Remus growled, his voice on the verge of breaking. "I've really hurt her, and she's been through so much and she's embarrassed and—"

"Don't you think I _know_ all that?" Sirius snapped. "None of that changes the fact that she's playing at dangerous games! It isn't smart when she leads a bloke on like that. And she's been doing it for a while now. You've seen the way she flirts with people. People like Rosier, or even _Snivellus_ whenever she knows you're looking or thinks you'll hear about it. _You know she does_!" he said over Remus' response. "And do you think any of them will care that she's hurt and embarrassed? Do you think a bloke like Rosier is going to just laugh it off when she _changes her mind_? No! He's practically a bloody _Death Eater_, Moony! And they're not exactly gentlemen, you know. Hell, they kill Muggles for _fun_! So I'm sorry if it was a little harsh, but it was for her own good!"

Remus was breathing very hard, but he had to admit Sirius' argument was not unreasonable. Actually, Remus could probably accept it, though he was still furious and couldn't shake some of the feelings and thoughts that had crossed his mind as he'd watched Sirius _calling Lindi's bluff_.

"That's all well and good, but what would you have done if she'd _really_ wanted to make me jealous?" he asked.

Sirius stared as though he didn't follow Remus, which of course, Remus knew he did. Few things went over Sirius' head.

"_Well_?" Remus asked again. "What if she'd gone through with it and called _your_ bluff?"

The grey eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a barely perceptible reaction. "She wouldn't have," he said simply.

"You didn't _know_ that." There was an accusation in Remus' tone that he hadn't quite meant.

"Moony…" It was James speaking up for the first time, and his voice was cautious.

But Sirius shot a silencing glance and went on. "Yes I _did._ I know her_, too_, you know." His voice had hardened.

"Then you know she hasn't been herself at all lately, not since Will's death."

"That's been fairly obvious," Sirius said, raising the magazine as evidence. His flip tone further infuriated Remus, but before Remus had a chance to respond he went on. "But it's beside the point. She wasn't going to do anything and I _knew _it."

"_How_? How could you _know_ that? What if she had?"

"What are you asking, Moony?" Sirius said, eyes narrowing angrily. "What do you _think_ I would have done?"

"Honestly, there's no telling what you might do, Sirius."

He'd done it.

The cool façade slipped and anger flashed in the steely eyes. Sirius flung the magazine down on his bed, freeing his wand hand. "Are you accusing me of something? Are you saying you think I would actually—_you think I'd mess around with your girl_?"

"Well, she's not _my_ girl anymore, is she?" Remus said instinctively.

Sirius' jaw clenched and his nostrils flared angrily. "_You know what I mean!_ That's a mere technicality and you can't think I'd take advantage of a technicality where my friends are concerned! You know me better than that!"

Remus' head was swimming, and while he was usually far more capable of keeping his thoughts, and his _mouth_, under control, all that had just transpired with Lindi had really shaken him. Otherwise, he never would have let slip what came next.

"Well, I never would have thought you'd betray me to Snape, either."

Sirius' reaction couldn't have been more visceral if Remus had slugged him in the gut. The jaw muscles unhinged and Sirius' mouth fell open. He stared at Remus for a moment, seemingly incapable of believing what he'd heard.

"Oh—I see—yeah—that's just—that's just great…" He shook his head, in disbelief, causing his black fringe to fall into his flashing eyes. He pushed it back irritably. "Is _that_ what this is really about? I thought we were _past_ that! What have you been doing? Letting it fester all these months?"

"No, actually I haven't thought much of it for a while," Remus said, calming down slightly at the sincerely hurt reaction from Sirius, though he wondered if subconsciously part of his rage did stem from a buried anger he'd never quite come to terms with.

"But you still don't trust me!" Sirius interrupted his thought. It was not a question.

Remus didn't respond right away. _Did_ he trust Sirius?

He looked at the man standing in front of him, so full of righteous indignation. Even with all the rage he felt towards Sirius at the moment, Remus loved him. They'd been friends since they were eleven years old. With James and Peter, Sirius had been like a brother. Remus knew his life would have been far different, far less happy without Sirius in it. He still couldn't imagine life without him, but… Did he _trust_ him? Could he ever fully trust him again after such an enormous betrayal?

After the too long pause, Sirius shook his head again, and again he brushed the fringe back in annoyance. "That's just bloody _great_," he growled. "I do _one_ thing, and suddenly I can't even be trusted with your girl! That's just—just _bloody brilliant_!"

He stalked angrily across the room, jerked the door open and left, slamming the door behind him so hard the windows rattled, and leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

Remus felt almost ashamed as he remembered James and Peter, and that they had witnessed the whole ugly thing.

No one said anything for a long minute.

"What?" Remus finally asked. "You think I overreacted?"

"Maybe a little," James said. "But I can understand your perspective." He gave Remus a tiny sympathetic smile and then sighed. "Still, do you really think he would have done anything?"

Remus wanted to say no, but…

He thought of the betrayal to Snape. And then memories flashed through his mind as they had done earlier that night. Sirius looking hungrily at Lindi, the bet, the way Sirius had held her when they danced, the way Lindi had blushed when he was holding her…

_No_, he told himself. _Sirius wouldn't…would he? _

_He told Snape_, haunted his thoughts.

"I don't know what to think anymore," he said feeling completely miserable.

"Yeah you do, Moony," James said earnestly. "You know he wouldn't do anything like that. He'd never hurt you, not _intentionally_ anyway, and it isn't the same as with Snape. That was just him being—_an idiot_, doing something without thinking it through because he was furious. You know how he is. That was a crime of passion—er, not exactly passion. More like a fit of _rage_."

James made a face that would have made Remus smile if he hadn't been so upset. Clearly, James felt that under the circumstances_, passion_ had been a poor choice of words. Peter stifled a snort.

"Anyway," James continued. "I know he wouldn't have told Snape if he'd thought for one second that you'd be hurt by it, and I'm pretty sure he _knows_ you'd be hurt if he shagged Lindi or something." He smirked pointedly. "He wouldn't do that to you."

James' directness and subtle humor had the affect needed and even though he was still angry with Sirius for his treatment of Lindi, Remus felt a great deal calmer. He definitely trusted James.

He gave a small abashed smile. "I'd kill him if he did."

"Pretty sure he knows _that_ too." James grinned. "And that we just might help you. Right, Wormtail?"

Peter nodded.

"You've been awfully quiet," said James.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to get in the middle of all _that_," Peter said frankly.

"Smart man!" said James. "Now, can we go see what ol' Fwibble can scrounge for a snack? I'm starved."

James pulled the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk and tucked it under his robes in case they were out past curfew, and gathered up the Marauders Map. Then, they made their way to the kitchen. After a plate of fig rolls and jug of pumpkin juice, Remus felt that it was time to go see Sirius, even though he was dreading the confrontation. Putting it off only gave him time to worry about how awkward it was going to be. He asked James for the Marauders Map and checked to see if Sirius had returned to their dormitory. Seeing that he had, they thanked Fwibble and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. Remus said nothing and James and Peter left him to his silence. They would have realized that the walk back gave him time to think what he would say.

An icy glare greeted him when he entered their room. Even the plate of chocolate gateau James sat on the bed in front of Sirius didn't warm it. He didn't even look at it, but stared at Remus.

"I'm sorry, Padfoot," Remus said steadily, looking him in the eye. "I shouldn't have implied that I thought you would…I was not thinking straight and I was very angry, mostly at myself, but also at you. You should not have treated Lindi the way that you did. Don't ever do it again."

Sirius kept staring, processing the apology. After what seemed minutes, he replied, "Why were you angry with yourself? You didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"I should never have let you go as far as you did. I should have told her the…." Remus stopped. He had been about to admit he should have told her the truth, but he didn't want to get further into the awful mess with Sirius now. He knew Sirius' view on the matter and didn't want to argue any more. "We were both wrong. She deserves better."

"I was only doing it for her own good, but…" Sirius shrugged. "Whatever you say."

A little prickle of annoyance niggled at Remus. Sirius could never admit he was wrong, much less say he was sorry. But Remus was exhausted. It was settled enough.


	65. Definitely Not What He Intended

Definitely Not What He Intended

_A/N: Thanks go to deanine for beta reading._

* * *

A little later, as they were getting ready to turn out the lights, there was a quiet knock on the door.

Peter leaned over and opened it a crack.

"Are you lot already in bed?" Lily's soft voice drifted in.

"We aren't asleep. Come on in?" James called as he lifted his glasses off his nightstand and pushed them back on his face. He sat on the bed and motioned to her.

She crossed the floor and sat next to him, but her eyes were on Remus, who sat up and leaned against his headboard, pulling the covers nearly to his chest.

"Can you please tell me what you did or said to her?" Lily asked without preamble.

"He didn't do or say anything to her," Sirius said before Remus could answer.

Lily turned. "Then what did _you_ do, because she hates you as much as she hates _him_."

That cut Remus nearly to the core, but it was not surprising. It mustn't have been for Sirius either, since he didn't even blink. Rather, he smiled darkly.

"I'm sure she does—for now. Someday, hopefully she'll realize it was for her own good."

"Great. I can't wait to hear this."

But instead of answering, Sirius asked, "What did _she_ say happened?"

"Well, it didn't make a lot of sense to be honest, but after she finally got over being_ completely_ hysterical, I was able to suss out that you had one of those French magazines you get from Hestia and it had a picture of Lindi wearing some apparently very naughty knickers…" Lily's eyebrow cocked.

Sirius nodded his agreement of the story thus far, looking maddeningly smug, but Remus didn't say anything as Lily went on.

"And that she wanted the picture back but you wouldn't let her have it. Then, she said you were going to give it to her if she let you see the naughty knickers, _while she was wearing them_. " Lily made a disgusted face.

Sirius sniggered as if he thought it was rather humorous.

"Are you going to explain that?" Lily asked.

"Not yet. Go on; what else did she say?"

Lily frowned. "She said that she pretended that she was actually going to let you so that she could get the picture, but most of all, to see what _Remus_ would do."

She looked at Remus, and in the pause Sirius said, "I told you it was all for your benefit."

Remus didn't respond. He didn't want to fight anymore and he felt sick over the fact that Lindi actually admitted she had been testing him. He'd failed her…miserably.

"What did she say about him?" Sirius asked.

Lily was still looking at Remus when she said, "She said you didn't care what she did with Sirius. Since I know that's absolute codswollop, I'd like to know what really happened."

So Sirius finally explained what had happened, including his reasoning, and how Remus had tried to intervene, but Lindi had basically told him to 'sod off'. Lily listened until he'd finished.

"Well, that was still a really foul thing to do to her, you know?" she said. "She was obviously already embarrassed enough by the picture. Can I see it?"

Sirius leaned across the bed and pulled the magazine from his nightstand drawer. He opened it to the ad and handed it over to Lily. After a minute, she breathed, "Blimey…"

"Something, isn't it?" James said, looking over her shoulder and sounding perhaps a bit too appreciative.

A hint of annoyance, or disgust, flitted across her face, but only a hint. "Yes," she admitted. "But it really isn't as bad as Lindi seems to think."

"It's not _bad_ at all," Sirius said.

"Did she say why she did it, if she's so embarrassed by it?" James asked quickly.

Lily sighed. "She'll be just as embarrassed if I tell you _that_ as she is by the picture." She paused for a moment looking conflicted, "But I think you should know. You can't say anything to her, though, or anyone else." She looked at them severely.

"Fine," Sirius said.

"Our lips are sealed," said James, and Peter nodded his agreement.

"Of course," said Remus, even more anxious for the truth now.

"Well, she did it because the photographer is a first class _arsehole_! Ughh…" Lily gave an angry growl. "He convinced her to do it _for laughs_, just to see if she could. He told her no one would ever see it. But first, he had lunch brought in, with plenty of _champagne_, of course. When in France…" She waved a hand in irritation and shook her head in disgust. "You know she can't hold her drink very well." She growled again.

"He got her drunk?" Peter asked, looking appalled.

"Yes, he did. Just enough to lower her inhibitions, but not falling down, obviously."

"What a bloody _pig_," spat James.

"Well, how did it end up in a magazine if it was just supposed to be for kicks and giggles?" asked Sirius.

Lily sighed heavily. "Lindi had signed a contract. It said all photographs were the property of the photographer. Once he'd taken them, with her consent, _dubious_ as it was, he could do whatever he wanted with them."

"But she didn't consent for them to be in an advertisement," argued Peter. "He tricked her."

"That apparently doesn't matter. So long as he didn't force her, they're his to do with as he wants." Lily's lips were a thin straight line, anger and revulsion evident on her pretty face.

"But that's so—_unethical_," said Remus.

"Welcome to the real world, Moony," said Sirius. "It sounds like Lindi's learning all sorts of lessons the hard way."

Remus turned, jaw clenched in anger at Sirius' apparent callousness.

"Why didn't she report him, try to stop him publishing them?" James asked, stopping Remus saying anything.

"Because she thinks it will just make her look worse, like she's an idiot or a drunkard or something."

"Well, it wasn't exactly genius."

"Shut up, Sirius!" Remus finally snapped.

"She's well aware of that, which is why she's so mortified," said Lily with a glare of her own at Sirius, who shrugged.

"How is she now?" Remus asked.

Lily sighed again. "She's not great." And with a look at Remus' face added, "But she's not hysterical anymore. She was so upset, though. To be honest, I'm getting worried about her. She just seems like she's on the verge of cracking, after everything that's happened lately. I'm afraid she's going to do something really stupid, or dangerous—or both."

"Do you think she'd hurt herself?" Remus asked, concern growing by the minute.

"No, I'm sure she wouldn't—not directly, anyway, but she seems so—reckless—not at all like herself, don't you think?"

"That's exactly the point I was making earlier," said Sirius. "The way she's been cozying up to the Slytherins is as reckless as it gets."

"Yeah…" Lily said pensively, a shadow crossing her face. "You may have a point." She sounded rather cryptic and her brow knotted in thought.

They waited for a brief moment for her to go on, but the Marauders, aside from Remus, were not noted for patience.

"What point?" asked James abruptly.

"Well…Have you heard that Evan Rosier and Radella Lestrange broke up this morning?"

"No." They all shook their heads. The hair on Remus' neck prickled.

"Really? Hmm…Apparently blokes don't spread gossip quite as well as girls do, because it's all over our dorm." Her brow furrowed in thought again.

"Well, are you going to share it and explain what it has to do with Lindi?" asked Peter.

"Apparently, last night, Rosier asked Lindi to go flying with him tomorrow, and it got back to Radella. Rumor has it that she threw an absolute wobbler."

But Remus didn't care about Radella's wobbler. _Rosier asked Lindi out…_ His stomach knotted. He'd known it was only a matter of time. He'd seen the way Rosier looked at Lindi, for months, but expecting it still didn't help him prepare for the reality. _Lindi going out with Rosier_… It was sickening, but Lily was saying something else, and he forced himself to listen through the ringing in his ears.

"So Rosier told her she wasn't his wife and as long as he wasn't married, he'd see whomever he likes, and if she didn't like it maybe they should call it quits."

"Blimey…" Peter breathed. "He told her that in front of the whole common room? Is he barmy? Radella can be one scary witch."

"It runs in the family," said Sirius coldly. "Even the ones who are only in it by marriage. Take my lovely cousin, Bellatrix." Sirius frowned. "Lindi better watch her back. The Lestranges are used to getting what they want, and I'm sure Radella and the rest were already planning the perfect pure-blood marriage. I'll give it to Rosier on one thing; he's got nerve. I know his mum and dad, and they won't be any too pleased with their sole heir dumping a Lestrange for some half-blood, no matter how gorgeous she is."

Remus' nausea intensified. Now Lindi was in the middle of a pure-blood breakup; she was the _cause_ of it, apparently, and it was all Remus' fault. If he hadn't pushed her away…right into the arms of Rosier! This was definitely not what he had intended.

"So Lindi's dating Rosier, now?" Peter asked, looking almost as repulsed as Remus felt.

"No," said Lily. "At least not yet. Leanna said Lindi told him she didn't go out with people who had girlfriends."

"So, he dumped his girlfriend. Problem solved," said James darkly.

"Or just beginning," said Lily. She turned to Remus, eyes pleading. "Oh, Remus, she doesn't want to go out with him. She just used Radella as an excuse not to, but now…" A deep furrow had formed between Lily's eyes again. "She's so hurt and angry. She might… Oh, _please_…You need to tell her the truth!"

Remus swallowed, mind racing. Lily was right, but…

"Are you _insane_?" Sirius sprang up off his bed, looking incredulous. "He can't tell her _now_! You just said yourself she's basically unstable! There's no telling what she might do!"

"That's what I'm afraid of!" Lily said, sliding off the end of James' bed to face Sirius. "I don't want to see her get mixed up with him just to spite Remus! He's dangerous! We all know it's only a matter of time before he and all his friends join the Death Eaters, if they already haven't. Do you want to see her messed up with that? I don't! Besides, he'd just _use_ her. I may only be a Muggleborn, but I've been around long enough to know you're right about the Pure-Blood thing. They'll never accept Lindi and he _knows_ it! He'd just _use_ her for a—for a bit of fun and…How will you feel?" she said, spinning round to Remus, desperation in her face. "How will you feel if she _lets_ him? Knowing she did it just to get back at you for hurting her, because you were supposed to love her—when you _DO_? It's all wrong!"

Remus' heart started racing as Lily ranted. _This must be what a panic attack feels like,_ he thought, as his ears rang louder and louder. Lily was right. He'd never forgive himself, but…

"That's not fair! It isn't _his_ fault she can't be trusted!" Sirius argued heatedly.

It was like a pail of ice water in the face, just what Remus needed to quell the panic and refocus his emotions to something less paralyzing.

"Oh, that's rich!" he practically shouted, throwing off his blankets and jumping out of the bed, oblivious to the fact that he was in his faded pajamas which were inches too short, exposing his boney scarred ankles, in front of a girl.

Lily didn't seem to notice or care. "Please don't you two start fighting! This is about Lindi!"

"Yes, Lindi, who is…" Sirius' words were cut off by a sharp rap on the door. He strode over and jerked it open. "What?" he barked.

"Sorry, Sirius." Remus heard a female voice answer softly and wasn't sure who it might be. "Professor McGonagall is in the common room looking for Lily Evans. I saw her come up here earlier."

"I'm here," Lily answered, and she crossed the room swiftly. "Tell Professor McGonagall I'll be right there." But before she left, she turned back and with one last pleading glance said, "I know it's a risk and I understand if you think it's too dangerous, but I also know you'll never forgive yourself if something happens to her. And I know she still loves you. Think about it, Remus."

As if he wouldn't…

Sirius closed the door behind her with a click and turned around.

"Don't even—"

"_Stop_, Sirius!" Remus stopped him. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"You'd be a—"

"I said I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Remus rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. Sirius apparently realized Remus meant what he said, since he didn't argue further.

Remus climbed back under his covers and pulled the bed curtains together for emphasis. He could hear Sirius let out a disgruntled breath, but he didn't care. He was sick of arguing, sick at heart.

Sick of everything.

* * *

The next morning he awoke with a dull throbbing headache, feeling un-rested. It had been a fitful night's sleep. He couldn't remember the nightmares vividly, but images of Lindi surrounded by dark hooded figures and the hideous Dark Mark lingered with Lily's words ringing in his ears, "Tell her…tell her…"

He pulled the curtains back from his bed and slid quietly out from under the covers. The others were still sleeping, so he gathered his things and went to the bathroom to get ready, and then headed to the Great Hall alone. Since it was early on a Saturday, and most of the teenaged students were having a lie in, he sat by himself at the sparsely populated Gryffindor table and picked at a piece of toast, sipping a cup of tea.

He stared out the window at the drizzly sky, wondering if the weather was enough to keep Lindi from changing her mind about going flying with Rosier, after what had happened the night before. Suddenly, someone dropped onto the bench beside him.

"Morning, Remus," said Lily. "I had a feeling you'd be here."

She looked quite haggard, deep circles under her usually bright, now bloodshot eyes.

"Hello, Lily. What's wrong? You look like you haven't slept a wink."

"A wink's about all I've slept," she said through a long yawn. "It was after two when I got back to the dorm and I was too wound up to sleep. I don't know what time I finally drifted off, but then Mary's stupid owl woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep. I figured I'd come down for a cup of warm milk and maybe go back when the rest are cleared out. I'm glad I did. I want to talk to you without the others around."

"I know you think I need to tell Lindi—"

"That's not what I want to talk to you about—well not exactly," she said and then sighed heavily. "Something happened while we were talking last night. It's why Professor McGonagall was looking for me."

The hair on Remus' neck prickled again.

"After I left Lindi at her tower…I thought she'd calmed down, but she obviously hadn't."

"What happened, Lily?" he asked, fear rising.

"Lindi went and got her broom and sneaked out of the castle again. I shouldn't have left her, but she seemed so much better after we'd talked," she said apologetically.

"Is she hurt?" Remus asked, desperation sounding in his voice.

"No, no," Lily quickly assured him. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. She's fine—at least physically, but she's in loads of trouble. She had to go see Dumbledore."

"Is she expelled?" he asked, horrified that she might be leaving Hogwarts.

"No, not this time, but she's confined to her house again, for two weeks, and theytook her _broomstick _away."

"Good," he said instinctively. "At least she can't go out anymore. She might get hurt next time."

"Well, yes and no…Remus, you know how she feels about that broomstick."

He did; it was Lindi's most precious possession. It had come from her mother; they had loved flying together.

"She was upset, wasn't she?" he asked.

"_Upset_?" Lily gasped. "You would have thought they were trying to take her right arm! She really lost it, Remus, went completely berserk. McGonagall had to use a sedating charm on her." Lily shook her head at the memory, looking sickened. "I'm afraid she's really on the verge of a breakdown. I think everything that's happened is finally taking its toll; her grandmother, her mum, her aunt, this bloody awful war and all the people that have been killed or vanished, Will…" She looked up at him and he could see the '_you_' in her eyes, but she didn't actually say it.

"And now they've taken her_ broom_," she said instead. "I'm afraid it was the last straw."

The concern in her voice had Remus very worried.

"But she'll see the sense in it," he said, to convince himself as much as Lily. "They had to do something since she keeps breaking curfew. She'll calm down and…" He stopped at the skeptical look on Lily's face. "You don't really think she's having a breakdown, do you?"

The sympathy in Lily's eyes told him she did. "I'm worried, Remus. I was talking to Leanna after they gave Lindi the sleeping draught and she said she's worried Lindi's at the breaking point too. She said that Lindi actually thinks she's cursed."

Remus breathed out heavily, remembering. "She's mentioned it before, but it was mainly a joke." Or he had thought it was. "The idea comes from her grandmother."

"Yes, Leanna told me about that, something about some mad bloke killing her grandfather in a duel. Amazing." Lily shook her head again, this time at the strangeness. "But that's not the only thing. Did you know that Lindi's mum almost got married? Not to her father. Leanna told me about _that_, too, by the way." She smiled sadly. "Just another thing to make her think she's cursed. Quite a history Lindi has, eh?"

Remus nodded. "Heartbreaking. But I don't know anything about her mum almost getting married. What happened? Why didn't they go through with it?"

"Because her mum died—just a few days before the wedding."

"_What_?"

"Yeah."

"That's terrible." He knew it was an understatement, but had no idea what else to say.

"I know."

"She never mentioned it, the wedding I mean."

"I'm sure she doesn't like to think about it." Lily shrugged sadly. "So anyway, now, Lindi's starting to think the curse isn't such a big joke after all, what with everything else and then…" She hesitated. "And then you break up with her." She sighed again. "I can almost understand it. To her, it must seem like she's incapable of being loved. She's lost everyone who loves her most and everyone else only wants her for—well, for sex, to be blunt."

"But that's not _true_," Remus said, guilt washing over him for the thousandth time.

"I _know_," Lily said bracingly. "But you can see how it must look to Lindi, can't you? Leanna said she was more upset about Ludo Bagman than she lets on."

"I thought she was glad to be rid of him?" Remus said, sickened that she might have actually liked him.

"She was, but at the same time, she's upset because she thinks he only liked her for her looks—and to fool around. And did you know she went out with another bloke when she was in Paris, before Bagman?"

"No," he said, blindsided. The thought that Lindi might have actually moved on from him sooner than he'd thought was stunning, _and painful_.

"Twice. He made a pass at her on the second date. She said no, and he didn't call again. Worst of all, she's convinced that you broke up with her because she wouldn't let you shag her."

Remus' face grew hot. Lily was so direct. It reminded him of Lindi, though the words were quite different. He could hardly imagine Lindi saying _shag_. She would have just waved her hand in the air to finish the thought. He almost smiled at the memory, but his eyes were growing hot, too. Oh, how he missed her.

And he'd hurt her so much.

"Are you seeing the pattern Lindi sees?" Lily asked gently.

He felt so ashamed for letting her believe that. And angry at those other idiots who apparently were too stupid to see how wonderful she was.

_Thank goodness_…and he was more ashamed for being glad they were so stupid.

"I need to tell her the truth," he said flatly.

"It's risky," Lily said, to his surprise.

"I thought you wanted me to."

"I did; I _do_, but, well, she was so hysterical. I'm starting to agree with Black. I don't want _you_ to get hurt, either."

But Remus thought once and for all, it couldn't be worse than all of this torment.

"I don't care about that anymore." And he meant it.

Lily gave him a heart wrenching smile. "You are as good a bloke as I've ever known, Remus Lupin."

"No, I'm—"

"_Yes_, you are. There is no way Lindi is cursed if she has a man like you who loves her."

"That's just what makes me think she actually _is _cursed," he said dismally.

"Stop it, Remus. I wish you could see what others see in you."

_They've never seen me at the Full Moon,_ he thought, but he didn't say anything. He was getting embarrassed by Lily's kind words and didn't want her to think he was fishing for compliments.

"You're a good friend, Lily," he said instead.

She smiled sweetly and then yawned. "Well, as your friend, I'm glad you don't have to tell her right now. In fact, you wouldn't be able to. You have some time to let her calm down at least. She's confined to Ravenclaw for two weeks. Leanna will be with her. She'll take care of her."

With that settled, Lily took her cup of milk and went back to the Tower. Remus did not see her the rest of the day and hoped she was getting some well deserved sleep.

He, on the other hand, didn't get as much sleep as he'd like over the next days. He was almost glad that Lindi was confined to the dormitory so he didn't have to face her.

* * *

October arrived, bringing frost to the school grounds. As the days passed, the urgency for Remus to make a decision seemed to wane. Lindi was safe in her dormitory, after all.

Suddenly, another Full Moon was upon him and then, October was nearly halfway over and the first Hogsmeade weekend arrived cold and wet.

The day before had been the last of Lindi's house arrest, so Remus was not completely surprised to spot her walking along the road with Leanna and Constance, though he had considered that Dumbledore might not free her to leave the castle just yet. Obviously, the headmaster felt that 2 weeks confinement in her room had been punishment enough.

The girls were up ahead and James, watching them dodge mud puddles, said, "Oy, Wormtail, I thought you were supposed to take Constance to the village?"

"We broke up," Peter said dully.

"Oh," James said, looking slightly awkward. "Sorry, Mate."

Peter shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he mumbled.

"What'd you do?" asked Sirius.

Peter shot him a look. "_Nothing_. I don't want to discuss it."

Sirius' brows rose in intrigue.

"How is the Quidditch team looking, James?" Remus asked, to change the subject. His empathy was with Peter on the previous one.

"Not bad!" James said, always ready to talk a bit of Quidditch. "Lynch is coming around. He's still not quite as good as Lewis and certainly not as good as Dellington, but…" His voice trailed off when the girls in front of them looked over their shoulders. With their longer strides, the boys had cut the distance between them and James' voice must have carried Lindi's name farther than he'd intended.

"Hiya, Dellington," he called. "Just talking about Quidditch."

"We were wishing our Seeker was as good as you," Peter added.

"Oh," she said listlessly.

The girls turned back around and picked up their pace.

"You know," said James thoughtfully. "It's just occurred to me that I'm the only one of us who hasn't either dumped or been dumped by one of those girls, or both. No wonder they're in a rush to get away."

Sirius, the one who had been a dumper and dumpee, since his on again off again relationship with Leanna was currently off, was the only one who laughed.

Finally, they reached the columns with the winged boars and passed through the gates to Hogsmeade. Immediately, the tension in the air rose markedly. It probably had to do with the obvious presence of dark robed law enforcement wizards milling about at the corner of nearly every shop. In addition, there was a group of somber looking wizards at the intersection of the main street and the one that led to the Hogs Head pub. One of the men seemed to be directing the others to a different part of town.

_Probably Aurors,_ thought Remus. _Or friends of Dumbledore_…

He felt a little better about watching Lindi and the girls head off in the opposite direction, but only a little. The urge to follow and watch over her was still very strong, but when he saw where they were headed, he knew he'd never get the Marauders to follow, even if he'd thought it was wise. If Lindi didn't make him regret it, his friends would, if he suggested they spend their visit at Madam Puddifoots without dates.

They headed to Zonko's and then to Honeydukes.

"I'm bored," Sirius drawled an hour or so later, as they wandered rather aimlessly around the muddy streets. Lets go see if anything's going on at the Hog's Head—give the Three Broomsticks a chance to clear out a bit. I hate the first weekend—all the thirdsies swarming all over the place like pixies."

"We were thirdsies once," Remus reminded him.

"And I'm sure we annoyed the pants off the seventh years, too. What's your point?"

Remus smiled. "No point—just making conversation since you're so bored."

"Let's at least get out of this infernal drizzle," said James, stepping over a small puddle, "But I don't expect to find much excitement at the Hog's Head, or anywhere else for that matter. Not with all these Aurors and law enforcement types running around."

They turned off of the main street and walked a few steps before they were forced to the side of the road to allow a cart to pass. They couldn't go around it due to a large pool of mud. Suddenly, as they waited, a barrel on the back of the cart flew into the air and, with a sloppy squelch, landed square in the middle of the puddle, splashing a wave of brown slime all over James, who had been in the lead.

"Bloody hell!" he cried, jumping aside into a stone wall, but too late.

The sound of delighted cackling rose up from down the road and Remus saw Snape, Rosier, Regulus Black, and Barty Crouch snorting with glee. It also looked as if Snape were just putting away his wand.

James must have seen it, too.

"You—Bloody—Effing—_Wanker_!" he bellowed, wiping a splattering of mud off his glasses with one hand, as he pulled his wand with the other. He started for the Slytherins, directly through the puddle.

Snape re-drew his wand, and all the other young men drew theirs.

It looked like they had found some excitement after all.

"Wotcher, lads?" a deep voice boomed down the street. "Is there a problem?"

Two men in dark robes stood at the corner, watching. Department of Law Enforcement wizards…

"No, sir," said Regulus, and the Slytherins and Crouch replaced their wands and walked up the road towards the men.

As they passed the Marauders, still under the watchful eye of the DLE wizards, James muttered, "You'll pay for this," glaring at Snape.

"Careful, or you'll end up in trouble with the law," Snape jeered softly. "You'd better just keep wallowing in the muck like the swine that you are."

James' wand hand jerked, but Sirius had already grabbed his arm before James could raise it. "Easy, Prongs," he whispered. "It'll wait."

Once Snape and his friends had gone and the DLE wizards had resumed their patrol, the Marauders helped James siphon off as much of the mud as they could, and dry his shoes. Then they continued into the Hogs Head.

Dark and dingy as usual, the bar's crowd was sparse. Sirius ordered a round of Firewhisky and they killed some time disparaging Snape and planning revenge, but soon, the conversation turned to more pleasant matters.

"I honestly don't know how Lily could ever stand that greasy git," said James.

"Felt sorry for him, I suspect," said Remus.

"He's so bloody _pathetic_," Sirius snarled.

"Well, she came to her senses in the end," said James, his voice softening somewhat.

"So, what's going on with the two of you?" asked Peter, wincing at the Firewhisky he'd just swallowed.

"Nothing, _yet_," James said, taking a nonchalant sip of his drink. "Although, I did almost ask her to come with me to Hogsmeade today."

The others sat up sharply, eyes widened in interest.

"But then, I remembered that only one Head can leave the castle at a time, these days." James shrugged and the others relaxed again.

"Well, I guess you at least figure she's _dying_ to go out with you finally, eh?" Remus asked, grinning.

James ignored the little jibe. "Maybe not quite, but close. I think the first Quidditch match next weekend might be a possibility."

When they had exhausted the discussion on James and Lily's hopefully upcoming first date, they decided it was probably safe to make a visit to the Three Broomsticks.

As they approached, Celia Keller, Mary MacDonald and Martin Deevers walked up from the other end of the village. Celia's eyes widened happily when she saw the Marauders.

"Hiya, you lot," she said. "Are you going inside?"

"Yeah, you?" said Sirius.

"We are. Why don't we get a table together?"

Mary looked like she was trying not to smile, while Martin frowned, clearly not liking the idea. Remus had heard that Martin fancied Celia, but the feeling was unrequited. While Celia was normally fairly blunt with people, since her father worked for Martin's, she was being a bit delicate. Apparently Martin wasn't getting the message.

"Sure," said Sirius, holding the door open.

Unlike the Hog's Head, it was quite crowded inside Madam Rosmerta's cheerful pub.

However, the cheeriness quickly turned to gloom when Remus spotted Lindi at a table across the room. She was sitting next to Evan Rosier. Granted, they weren't sitting alone, but even with a table full of people, that they were sitting together _at all_ made Remus' insides writhe.

_They didn't come together_, he told himself and reminded himself of what Lily had said. _She doesn't want to go out with him._

_But that was over two weeks ago…._

But how much could have changed? She'd been confined to her house until this morning. He forced himself to believe she'd just run into Rosier and his gang, and Rosier had wormed his way to the seat next to her. Remus had to believe it or he might be sick.

He weaved through the crowd behind his friends to a table being vacated by a group of Ravenclaws. Remus despised himself for it, but he made sure he was seated with a view of Lindi's table.

He shouldn't have.

Halfway through his second Butterbeer, he saw Rosier lean over and whisper something in Lindi's ear. She smiled, blushing, and was just shaking her head when her eyes met Remus'. The smile on her face vanished. She swallowed. It felt like a lump of flaming lead dropped into Remus' stomach when she looked into Rosier's face and nodded.

The next thing Remus knew, Rosier was pulling her chair back and draping her cloak over her shoulders. When her back was turned, Rosier waggled his eye brows and his friends looked impressed, but Leanna didn't. She didn't look much happier about it than Remus was. Still, she watched them snake their way through the crowded room and out the door without saying anything. Remus knew this because he couldn't make himself watch Lindi leave with Rosier and found himself staring at Leanna for the distraction. He found very slight comfort in seeing that Lindi's best friend disapproved of the situation, too. Maybe she would talk some sense into Lindi before it was too late.

He prayed this would be the case.

Only after the door had closed behind them did Leanna's eyes leave Lindi, and she turned and caught Remus looking. If he'd thought they were somehow allies now, her glare quickly dispelled the notion. She looked at him with such anger and blame…

He felt sick. He wanted to go back to the castle, but it was too soon. He might catch up to Lindi and Rosier, assuming they were going back.

That made him really sick. Why would they be going back to the castle this early?

_No…_He couldn't think of that. She had just been making him jealous again. _Yes_...he told himself. _She doesn't want to go out with Rosier_. Over and over he reminded himself and somehow managed to make it back to the castle a short while later without getting ill.

He wanted desperately to check the Marauders' Map when he got to the room, to see if Lindi and Rosier were still together, but was too embarrassed in front of his friends.

He was relieved when Lindi came to the Great Hall for dinner a little later, not with Rosier, but with Leanna, and left with her after they'd eaten. Unfortunately, she did wave to Rosier on her way out.

Over the next few days, Remus spotted them in the corridors together between classes a few times.

He had prefect patrol on Friday night and used it as an excuse to check the Marauders' Map. He was horrified to spot Lindi and Rosier alone in the Potions Dungeon. As curfew drew near, he was torn between being embarrassed to disturb them and being thankful for the excuse and authority to do so. All the way down the corridor, he struggled with the decision of knocking or just barging in. If he knocked, he was sure to break up whatever might be going on. At least then, he wouldn't have to see it, but if he barged in without giving them warning, he'd know what was really going on.

But did he really want to know, much less _see _it?

To his great relief, the door was ajar. He peaked in and found Lindi carefully capping vials of some potion while Rosier sat staring at her, looking mildly annoyed.

Thank goodness they weren't…

He pulled his head back, debating if he should announce curfew just yet. After all, Rosier was a prefect, too. But Remus was on duty…

"Are you finished now?" Rosier asked.

"Yes," Lindi answered. "I just have to clear up? It's almost curfew."

A chair scraped on the stone floor. "Yeah, so let's forget about the mess," Rosier said in a husky voice.

"Evan…"

Remus thought this might be the perfect time to announce curfew, but it would be so embarrassing.

Though not as embarrassing as the silence that followed, and certainly not as horrible as the thought of what was going on. He wanted to go in there and rip Rosier's heart out, but he couldn't make himself move.

"Ummghh…_Evan_…" Lindi sounded out of breath a minute later. "It's late. We'll be caught out of bounds, and I can't afford to get in any more trouble. They're barely letting me play in the match tomorrow as it is."

A grunt of frustration answered.

"I'm sorry," she said. "The potion took longer than I expected."

"Yeah, me too," he sounded disappointed, and a bit annoyed. "I guess we'll just have to make up time tomorrow after the match."

The way she giggled in response sounded nervous and forced to Remus.

"You need your sleep too," she said. "You don't want us to beat you too badly."

"Oh, really," Rosier teased, obviously overcoming his irritation. "Why don't we make a bet on who wins?"

"Oh," Lindi said. "Oh, no—I don't think so. I've made that mistake before."

"I remember," Rosier said, chuckling. "Do you still have that costume? You can wear it when you pay me off after we crush you."

Another nervous giggle. "I don't think so. I never bet anymore. I learned that lesson. And we really have to get out of here."

"Never say never," Rosier said, voice low and seductive. "But all right. If you're scared, I'll let it go_, this_ time."

Remus heard the clinking of glassware and knew they were straightening the mess. He took the opportunity to slip away down the corridor before they came out, not wanting to run into them. He figured it was safe to leave them, now he knew they weren't _doing_ anything.

But they _had_ kissed…

Remus was nauseous the rest of the evening.


	66. A Bloody Mess of Things

**A Bloody Mess of Things**

_**A/N: Thanks again, to deanine, for betaing for me. It is greatly appreciated.**_

* * *

A bitter wind was blowing the following morning when the students climbed into the stands of the Quidditch Pitch. Blue, green, yellow, and red flags whipped wildly above their respective house sections as dark clouds gathered in the sky.

"Glad we aren't playing in this," Remus heard James shout over the wind as he walked into the front row of Gryffindor's stands.

"Yes, because the weather's likely to be _so _much better in November," Lily teased, as she sidled in behind him.

James smiled at her, looking as though he wouldn't have cared less if he found out he'd have to play in a hurricane.

And at the moment, Remus was sure he wouldn't have, because James was finally on a date with Lily Evans.

Granted, they were joined by all his friends, and surrounded by the whole school, for that matter, but he had asked her to go to the match with him and she'd said yes. It was official.

James couldn't have seemed happier. He wasn't even trying to pretend he wasn't thrilled. Remus figured James knew it would be an exercise in futility to try playing cool about it. Everyone, including Lily, knew James had been waiting for this day for ages. Of course, Lily seemed pretty happy herself.

A twinge of jealousy prickled at Remus. It was rather painful to see others so happy and just starting out, when his heart was completely broken. The love of _his_ life had snogged another man the night before.

_Don't think about it_, he told himself, as a lump started forming in his throat. He swallowed it back and took a deep breath as he pulled his cloak around himself and sat down on the bleachers.

James let out a loud laugh at something and turned, beaming at Lily. His happiness was infectious and Remus smiled, despite his misery. Much as he hurt, he couldn't have been more pleased for his friend. He wished the weather could be better for them, though the chill wind seemed to give James an excuse for cozying up to Lily without getting elbowed. Of course, the way she looked at James made Remus think she might not have elbowed him in the first place.

Remus smiled to himself again, even though he _was_ jealous.

He was also freezing, and not just on the outside.

His insides turned to ice when he saw Lindi climb onto her broomstick on the field down below and flash a brilliant smile at Rosier. Looking rather dashing with his green robes billowing around him, Rosier had yelled something to her after shaking Daniels' hand at the meeting of team captains.

Oh, yes, Remus was jealous! He felt it was going to turn _him_ green, though it wasn't so much from envy as being sick over the whole idea. Rosier wasn't just some other bloke. He was probably a Death Eater in training, and therefore _dangerous_, and it was clear that Lindi's reluctance to go out with him had dissolved.

_But she made excuses to stop kissing him last night, _Remus reminded himself.

_Yes, but they were legitimate excuses. They really _were_ going to break curfew and she really would have been in trouble. The point is, she kissed him…_

The reality hit him like a Bludger.

He'd waited too long to decide to tell her the truth. It was too late now, and this was entirely his fault.

He really wished the game would start so he'd have something to distract him from the fact that he'd made a bloody mess of things.

He barely heard the whistle start the match, for the howling of the wind. In fact, between it and the crowd noise, he could barely hear Mary MacDonald talking straight into his ear as she slid onto the bleachers beside him some ten minutes into the game.

"Did I miss much?"

"Not really," he practically yelled back.

No one had scored yet, since the Quaffle was being blown far off target by the near gale. He turned his attention back to the Pitch, scanning the sky for Lindi. He simply couldn't help himself, even if it was self inflicted torture.

He spotted her over the Hufflepuff section to his left. She was being buffeted by the wind, making it difficult for her to maintain her course. Wisps of her hair had been blown out of her French braid and were beating her about the face as she flew past the Gryffindor stand. As she continued to circle, she came lower, probably hoping the stands would offer a bit of protection from the wind. Remus tried to pay attention to the game, but Lindi flying around was such a distraction. He watched as she rounded the Pitch again. She was across the field, passing the Slytherin stands and coming up on the Hufflepuff's again.

Low as she was, he'd have a good view of her.

Suddenly, a roar went up from the crowd.

"Connolly finally puts the first score on the board! Ten points to Ravenclaw," called the announcer, drawing Remus' attention from Lindi at last.

On his left, Mary clapped wildly and out of the corner of his right eye, Remus saw Lily turn and, leaning around Peter, throw Mary a look that gave Remus the impression that Mary might fancy Nicholas Connolly. Remus turned to Mary and raised his brows, smiling quizzically.

"What?" Mary cried, blushing and grinning like one with a happy secret.

"I didn't say anything," he said over the cheers, still smiling.

Mary leaned over and said in his ear, "I have a date with Nicholas tonight."

"That's good," he said, smiling when she leaned back again. "Well, let's hope Ravenclaw wins so he's not in a foul mood."

The look on her face made him wonder if he'd said something wrong, as he wasn't really much more comfortable discussing other people's love lives than he was his own, _or lack there of_.

But it seemed to be an acceptable response, because Mary laughed and squeezed his arm. "Too right!"

And then, something horrible happened.

At first, Remus thought it had started to rain, but when he wiped the drops of moisture from his cheek, the smear on his hand was dark red. He didn't have time to consider this because so much seemed to be happening at once. There had been a collective gasp at almost the same instant he'd been dripped on and then screams from the bleachers around him, followed by a crashing thud a few feet away.

"Bloody hell!" cried Peter, jumping up next to him.

"Oh, my God!" He heard Lily shout, and saw her try to move to her right.

"Get out of the way!" Sirius bellowed, as he pushed several boys over the front bleachers and out of his path, James on his heels.

Remus stood up, confused. When the rest of the standing crowd moved aside to allow his friends to pass, he caught sight of a mass of blue. It was lying crumpled over two moaning sixth years. They had been smashed back onto the laps of two horrified looking students in the second row.

What the devil had happened? He looked at his hands again feeling the sticky smear. _Blood_…

He looked back at the blue mass and realized it was a Ravenclaw Quidditch robe. Someone had crashed.

He heard more gasps and cries as James and Sirius turned the player over.

"Help me move her!" James shouted, his voice sounding tight.

Dread washing over him, Remus scanned the sky desperately for Lindi and saw the rest of the players flying towards the Gryffindor stand as they realized something had happened. He checked each face, but no Lindi…

_Oh, no. _He pushed his way through the crowd toward where Sirius was helping James pull her off the students she'd landed on and set her gently on the floor.

James was shouting again. "Get Madam Pomfrey!"

Remus froze when he saw her face—or what was left of it. He was vaguely aware of someone fainting in the row behind them.

_So much blood…_ He had to do something. But he felt like his feet were glued to the plank floor. _Come on Remus; you're used to blood!_

But this wasn't his; it was Lindi's.

_Lindi's blood…_

"Get her potion!" he shouted, shoving gawking students aside to reach her.

"Oh, blimey!" He heard one of the flying players gasp as they arrived at the scene.

There were more cries and shrieks of horror as the others flew within view.

Remus dropped onto his knees beside Lily and started grasping for the collar of Lindi's robes, pulling to get to the chain that he knew should be around her neck, thankful that Lily had told him about it at Will's funeral.

The robes were soaked with blood and twisted up under her so that they wouldn't come free. He tore at them.

"What are you doing?" someone asked, but he didn't bother to answer.

He finally pulled them loose enough to expose the chain and then pulled the small vial free. His hands were surprisingly steady as he tried to twist the cap off, but they were now covered in blood, causing the cap to slip in his fingers. He wiped his fingers frantically on his robes and tried again, releasing the cap at last and, he froze again as he looked at her face. It was difficult to focus on her mouth amid the mangled flesh and blood. So much blood….

_Oh, no. _ He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to brace himself. "Tilt her head back_, carefully_," he said to James, though it came out almost as a croak.

As he poured the amber liquid down her throat, praying it would go down right, a ruckus broke out near them.

"Gawd blimey, you _idiot_! What were you thinking?"

Remus glanced up briefly to see Evan Rosier shove his fellow beater, Amycus Carrow, nearly off his broomstick.

"I didn't mean to hit _her_. I was aiming for Peters!" Carrow growled. "How could I help it if she wasn't paying attention and turned right into it?"

Remus' suspicion was confirmed. Lindi had been hit by a Bludger, squarely in the face.

He started to feel dizzy and real panic set in. Where was Madam Pomfrey? Or the Headmaster?

Now that he'd given her the potion that was supposed to help her blood coagulate, Remus was helpless to do anything else. If it had been a cut, he'd try to seal it. He'd learned how years ago from all the times his mother had mended his own. But this was no mere cut. It was even worse than the clawing and biting of the werewolf. Not only did most of the flesh on her face look like a piece of butchered meat, but the very form underneath seemed gone, bones and cartilage pulverized. She was unrecognizable. And hardly breathing…

He grabbed her wrist and felt for a pulse because of all the blood on her neck. Faint and very weak… _Oh, God, help_.

It seemed an eternity before he finally heard the voice of Professor Dumbledore. What had taken so long? Hadn't he been watching the match?

Then, even Madam Pomfrey gasped, freezing when she saw the state Lindi was in. That was a bad sign. Nothing had ever seemed to rattle the nurse.

"Oh, my," she said. Then, she quickly pulled herself together and was more her self. Lily and James moved out of her way and she started to reach under Lindi's collar. She frowned deeply. "Oh, don't tell me she didn't wear it! I need her potion!"

"Remus already gave it to her," Lily said, breathless.

The nurse glanced at him quickly. "Well done." She pulled her wand and waved it over Lindi's face several times, muttering, but if anything happened, Remus couldn't tell for the blood and…

He closed his eyes and breathed again.

"Well, the bleeding is slowed, at least, and the swelling," the nurse said, after what seemed an hour. "I have to get her to the Hospital Wing, though this might be beyond my skill, Headmaster. She might need to go to St. Mungo's."

"We shall do what you think, best," said Professor Dumbledore. "I have full confidence in your judgment. Let us through!" he called out. With a wave of his wand, Lindi rose off of the floor and started drifting away in front of the Headmaster, following the nurse, but Lindi's movement stalled. Remus realized it was because he still had hold of her hand, from checking her pulse; her arm stretched back to him unnaturally. Her shoulder must have been dislocated in the crash.

"You have to let her go, Remus," Professor Dumbledore said gently, resting his hand on Remus' shoulder.

Looking up into the understanding, crystal blue eyes, Remus suddenly felt his were in danger of bursting like a dam, but of course, he wouldn't let that happen. Not in front of all these people. He still had some control over _something_.

He forced himself to loosen his grip on Lindi's hand. As it slipped through his fingers, he realized how cold and blue it had become.

_Oh, no, please._

"Come on, Remus," James said, his voice tighter still.

"She'll be all right," Lily said, hers beginning to quiver.

A look passed between Sirius and Peter that showed they weren't at all sure. Peter's face was pasty.

Remus became aware of how quiet the stands had become. There was hardly a sound aside from the wind, and the moaning from the injured students Lindi had crashed on. Professors Slughorn and Hastings, the new DADA teacher, had arrived and were tending to them. A sob and sniffling could be heard here and there.

James reached out his hand to help Remus up.

"I guess this means we win?" Carrow's grunting voice carried over the stands.

"Shut up, Carr—" Rosier's angry response cut off abruptly at the sound of a cracking thunk.

Remus turned and saw Carrow grasping his broom to stop himself falling, his head flung back and a dark stream of blood gushing from his obviously broken nose.

Sirius was leaning against the railing, rubbing his knuckles.

"Why you…" Carrow said thickly, and started to lunge forward, but Rosier grabbed his robes and held him back.

"Leave it! You deserved that! Come on, I want to go see if Lindi's all right." And he threw a sharp look at Remus, a possessive, threatening look, a _stay away from her, she's mine_, look.

Did Rosier actually care about her?

"Remus?" James nudged his shoulder to get his attention and reached for his hand again.

Remus took it and James pulled him up.

"Hurry," Lily said and started for the stairs.

In the distance, Remus saw the door to the Castle closing behind Professor Dumbledore. How had they reached it so quickly? The headmaster must have done something to transport them.

The Marauders and Lily ran down the stairs, across the grounds, into the castle, and finally came to the door of the Hospital Wing, breathing heavily. Peter was gasping for air and clutching his side. Remus figured _he_ would have been, too, if he hadn't been so high on adrenaline and distracted from his pain by the fact that Lindi was in there, possibly dying. Possibly dead…

_No. _He took a deep breath and pushed on the door. He stepped into the all too familiar room. As he headed across the floor towards the group of people clustered around Lindi's bed, a wave of relief flooded over him when he heard the nurse muttering and saw her working furiously.

_She's alive, _he realized with great relief_. _They wouldn't be doing that if she'd died.

Professor McGonagall turned around and her lips pursed. She strode towards them, hissing, "You can't come in here."

"Please, Professor," Lily pleaded from behind Remus. "How is she? Is she going to be all right?"

"I don't know," said McGonagall, and her voice was very strained. That reinforced the fact that Lindi's condition was grave. McGonagall _really_ didn't get flustered.

It made Remus resist being pushed out of the room even more.

"Lupin, you can't stay," she said firmly, and guided him towards the door.

Once out in the corridor, the door pulled shut behind her, McGonagall looked at them all more kindly. "I know you're worried. _I'm_ worried, but Madam Pomfrey is doing all she can and she doesn't need you to distract her."

"Well, what is she doing?" Sirius asked. "Is Lindi still unconscious?"

"Did the bleeding stop?" asked Peter.

"Are they going to take her to St. Mungo's?" asked James.

"One at a time, please," McGonagall said. "She is still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey is having a difficult time getting the bleeding to stop, though it has slowed." She turned to Remus. "She said it was lucky you thought to give her that potion right away."

Lily laid her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it, a little pat on the back.

"But it hasn't stopped it," Remus said.

"No, the injuries are very severe, and Miss Dellington has a condition that complicates matters, as apparently you know, but Madam Pomfrey has given her a Blood Replenishing Potion," McGonagall said. "She's not nearly out of the woods, but she's in good hands and a Healer from St. Mungo's is on the way to assist Madam Pomfrey. They feel it is better than trying to transfer _her_."

Remus could tell by the look in her eyes that Professor McGonagall was very worried.

"Now, you need to," she started, but the sound of feet slapping the stone stairs distracted her.

Remus turned and saw Madam Rosmerta sprinting up the steps, and a group of students were on her heels, Rosier leading them. He had changed out of his Quidditch robes.

Leanna was there and she bolted around to the front. "Is she all right?" she cried, her eyes red and wet.

"She's alive, Miss Haversham. That's all I can tell you. Now all of you need to go back to your houses." McGonagall turned to Rosmerta. "Come in, Rosmerta." They went inside the hospital ward and the door closed behind them with a soft click.

Remus turned sharply and started for the stairs.

"Where are you going, Remus?" Lily asked.

"Back to Gryffindor," he said briskly.

"That's right," said Rosier, stepping in front of Remus. "Be a good boy and do like you're told. You don't belong here."

Remus didn't have time to argue. He stepped around Rosier without so much as blinking and reached the stairs as he heard Sirius growling at Rosier.

"Why don't you do the same?"

"Because I don't have to, why don-" And then Remus could hear no more of their argument, because he rounded the corner and took off. Down the corridor he ran, up two flights of stairs, around another corner and up another flight, then, cursing the moving staircases, he took an extra two flights to make his way. Finally, sprinting towards the finish, he came sliding to a stop in front of the Fat Lady.

"Gorm—less," he gasped, clutching the stitch that had finally formed in his side.

"Now see here; don't get shirty with me," said the Fat Lady, looking offended.

"What?" Remus said, breathless. "It's—the new—password!"

"Oh, oh, yes. I really must change that. I was upset with—"

"I'm sorry, but I'm—in a bit—of a hurry. Please let me in."

She gave a little offended huff and swung the portrait hole open for him and he dashed inside. He ran across the empty common room and up the stairs. He flung open the lid of James' trunk and dug the Invisibility Cloak from the bottom. Then he rummaged through Sirius' bedside drawer to find the Marauders' Map.

"I solemnly—swear—I am up—to no good," he said, completely out of breath.

The lines seemed to take longer to form than normal, but eventually, he looked towards the Hospital Wing. A cluster of names included Lindinara Dellington.

_Thank God!_

She was still alive. He sat heavily on the edge of Sirius' bed, his legs having gone weak, and tried to catch his breath for the return trip. As he sat breathing heavily, he searched the landing outside the Hospital doors. His friends and Lily were still waiting, as was Leanna, and Rosier. But there was a new name along side Rosier. _Lucius Malfoy_…

What was he doing there? It wasn't unusual to see the former Slytherin at the Pitch for games, but why was he outside the Hospital Wing?

As he pondered the question, the dot for Malfoy moved away from Rosier and into the Hospital. Who did Malfoy think he was? He had no business in there.

Remus stood up and started back to find out what was going on. When he reached the last corridor before arriving, he checked the Marauders' Map to be certain no one was coming around the corner and then swung James' cloak over his head. He stepped quietly up the stairs and moved in behind his friends, clustered together. Leanna's head was resting on Sirius' shoulder, so he couldn't whisper to him. Lily wasn't holding onto James like that, but she was still very close, so Remus crept around them to Peter.

He leaned down very close to Peter's ear and whispered, "It's Remus. Open the door for me."

Peter grunted, jumping slightly at the unexpected noise in his ear, but recovered by faking a coughing spasm.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, tickle, in my throat." He cleared his throat and James and Sirius looked at him strangely. "I wonder what Malfoy is up to in there," he said and stepped towards the door and opened it.

Remus slipped inside and noted that no one had yet noticed the opened door. Peter closed it again quietly. At the far end of the room, Lindi lay in her bed, her head bandaged like a mummy. There were stains seeping through the white gauze. Apparently she was still bleeding. A man was standing over her, tapping a finger to his pursed lips, deep in thought. He must be the Healer that was coming from St. Mungos. Madam Pomfrey, Rosmerta, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore were in a huddle with Malfoy a few feet away.

Remus crept closer to get within hearing distance of what they were discussing.

"…be expensive. Lindi doesn't have that kind of money, and I certainly don't. Business has been awful these last few months with all this Death Eater business," Rosmerta was saying.

"Don't worry about the cost. I'll work something out. He owes me a favor," Malfoy said smoothly.

Professor McGonagall's brows rose. "That's very generous of you. Exceptionally generous." However, rather than sounding complimentary of his generosity, there was an accusatory note to her demeanor. "Not many people would go to so much trouble for someone they hardly know."

Malfoy gave her what many would see as a charming smile. Remus thought it a greasy sort of smile, but of course, he thought Malfoy a greasy sort of man. Apparently, so did McGonagall.

"As I said before, my wife's nephew, Evan Rosier, is quite taken with Miss Dellington, Professor," Malfoy said silkily. "He asked for my help and I merely wish to provide it, if I can."

"Do you think Melcore will be willing to come all this way?" Rosmerta asked, putting an end to the small dispute.

"I'm quite sure of it," said Malfoy, casting his greasy smile on Rosmerta.

Professor McGonagall spoke up again. "I'm not sure he should come, Headmaster. There were rumors that Melcore left to prevent some sort of scandal breaking."

"_Unsubstantiated_ rumors," said Malfoy. "Regardless, he is the best at what he does."

"He's right," said Madam Pomfrey, jumping into the conversation at last. "The things he could do with Skelegrow and Transfiguration are nearly legendary. I've no doubt he could repair her facial structure so that even she wouldn't be able to tell anything had ever happened."

"But you can regrow bones, too, Poppy," McGonagall argued.

"Yes, but arm and leg bones are a far cry from facial bones, Minerva, and then you still have the soft tissue, her gums, nasal cartilage… I'd feel awful if a beautiful girl like her ended up with a crooked nose or something."

"Oh, we definitely don't want _that,"_ said Dumbledore, a twinkle in his eye. "Not many can carry off a crooked nose well."

"Oh, Headmaster, I—" Madam Pomfrey blushed.

Dumbledore smiled. "Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey. I completely agree. I wouldn't want Miss Dellington to go through life having to field questions about a beak like this. It can be _most_ annoying." He turned to Malfoy. "If you think you can arrange it, please do."

"Is there a floo I can use?"

"The one in my office is connected," said Madam Pomfrey.

Malfoy nodded curtly and went to the Hospital office, closing the door behind him.

Remus was curious about what Malfoy was up to and just who this Melcore was, but since he couldn't sneak into the office without alerting someone to his presence, he very quietly followed the nurse back to Lindi's bedside. The Healer from St. Mungo's was removing the bandaging from her face. It was drenched in blood. His face was full of concern as he looked at Madam Pomfrey.

"It won't stop."

"Has it slowed any more?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Yes, but that's not saying much. I think we need to remove the bone fragments. Something is preventing our mending spells from working. I know you were going to wait for Melcore to handle the whole reconstruction if he comes, but if we don't stop the bleeding there'll be no need to regrow anything."

Remus' heart beat a little faster. Lindi was even paler than she'd been in the stands. He reached down and very carefully touched her hand, being sure the Healers wouldn't notice his hand slip out from under the Invisibility Cloak, or Lindi's vanishing under it. Her fingers were like ice.

"I think you're right," Madam Pomfrey was saying. "I feel certain he'll remove and regrow them from scratch, rather than try to repair them, anyway. That's what he was known for in Healer school. Let's give her another Blood Replenishing Potion and then we'll remove them."

The Healer nodded and turned to the tray table beside him, and lifted a bottle. Just then, Malfoy came back out of the office.

"He'll be here in half an hour. He needs time to pack and arrange for a Portkey."

"That must be quite a favor he owes you, for him to drop everything and come all that way at your beck and call," said McGonagall, suspicion still evident in her tone.

Malfoy smiled again, pretending he hadn't noticed. "I'm just glad I'm able to help. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go see how Evan is."

Remus had a split second to decide between staying with Lindi and following Malfoy. Much as he hated to leave her side, he knew there was nothing he could do for her, and the temptation to eavesdrop on the conversation between Malfoy and Rosier was too much. He wanted, _needed_, to know how Rosier really felt about Lindi.

"What's going on?" Rosier demanded as Malfoy walked out onto the landing, unaware of Remus right behind him.

Malfoy was fully aware of Remus' friends listening in, though.

"We're bringing a specialist in. Let's go somewhere more private. He won't be here for a while."

"What do you mean, _we_? And what sort of specialist? Is he coming from St. Mungo's?" Sirius demanded.

Malfoy sneered at him. "I really don't see how this is any of your business. Come, Evan."

He turned and walked down the stairs. Sirius snarled some obscenities about Malfoy, but Remus didn't hear what else was said to the others because he had slipped down the stairs following Malfoy and Rosier all the way to the Great Hall. Remus had to be careful not to be bumped by anyone coming or going from the Slytherin table as he got as near to the two as he dared.

"How is she?" asked Snape when they sat across from him. Carrow and Regulus Black were there as well.

"A bloody mess," said Malfoy.

To their credit, both Snape and Regulus seemed to flinch at the ugly choice of words, while Carrow snorted in a way that Remus couldn't quite tell if he thought Malfoy was merely being cool or if he actually took pleasure in Lindi's pain. Carrow had always struck Remus as something of a sociopath.

"Is she going to be all right?" Regulus asked.

"Yes, if they can keep her from bleeding to death before Melcore arrives."

"Melcore?" Snape asked, apparently unfamiliar with the name.

"Isn't he the blood traitor that went to America so he could work for Mudbloods?" Rosier said.

"Well, it isn't _why_ he left, but yes, he does some sort of transfigurations on them, apparently," said Malfoy, lip curling in disgust.

"I remember Mum and Dad talking about it. They knew his parents, I think," said Rosier. "It was quite a scandal."

"Of course it was. The Melcores are one of the richest pure-blood couples in England, although they spend most of their time in Monaco these days. Avoiding questions about their son, no doubt, even though it's common knowledge that they disowned him years ago."

"What sort of questions? Why did he leave?" asked Regulus.

"I'm sure that's the question his parents left to avoid," Malfoy said, smiling mysteriously.

"Well, why is he coming all the way from America?" asked Snape.

"Because I told him to," said Malfoy, self importance oozing.

The three Slytherins looked impressed.

"He might be a blood traitor, but he's the best chance Lindi has to be repaired by the time the weekend arrives, and she needs to be ready for the party. All of you are coming, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it," said Regulus.

"I can't wait," said Carrow.

"Yes," said Snape, and then his eyes narrowed slightly. "But why does _Lindi_ need to be at the party?"

Remus was wondering exactly the same thing, especially when he remembered how upset Lindi had been when Malfoy had asked her to work one of his family parties the year before, and one of the former Slytherins had insinuated that she should do more than _serve drinks_.

Malfoy hesitated for an instant and then smiled that smarmy smile again. "Because Evan fancies her, of course. Besides, surely you can see the entertainment value as well as I, when he brings the _Half_-blood beauty to meet his parents, while his poor Pure-blood ex, Radella, and her loyal family and friends are forced to watch." Malfoy looked positively giddy at the prospect.

Rosier looked like he might be having second thoughts for an instant, but then stuck his chin out defiantly when the others started to grin.

Regulus laughed. "I don't know if you're a fool or the bravest bloke I ever met, Rosier. I'm surprised you didn't end up in Gryffindor."

"Ugh!" groaned Rosier. "Don't even joke about that. They might not be happy that I'm dating a Half-blood, but if I'd ended up in Gryffindor, I'd have killed myself to save them the trouble."

"Well, I got a letter from Mum and she said your aunt Druella told her your mum saw red when she found out you had thrown over Radella for Lindi," said Carrow.

Rosier frowned, but Carrow added, "All I know is Lindi must be one hell of a great shag, for you to risk getting your mum and dad so brassed off."

Rosier frowned more deeply and his nostrils flared.

Almost as widely as Remus' did! Standing against the wall, hidden under the cloak, he nearly threw it off so he could hex Carrow into next year.

Luckily, before Remus did anything, Malfoy said, "Now, Carrow, don't be vulgar."

"And stop getting off thinking about my sex life! It's _creepy_. Maybe if you had one of your own, you wouldn't need to live vicariously through mine," Rosier growled viciously.

Carrow went a bit pink and was clearly insulted, but this time, it was Regulus who served to diffuse the tension when he said, "Rumor has it that there isn't much in the way of sex in _your_ life either, these days." His eyes were smiling. "From what I hear, you're lucky to get a full on snog, much less a shag."

Snape smirked. "Which might explain why he's so testy. I've never known him to begrudge anyone _living vicariously_ before."

All but Rosier sniggered; _he_ looked highly annoyed. His ears were turning pink, just as Carrow's had and Carrow let out the heartiest snicker of all.

"Bugger off!" Rosier barked. "We've only been dating three weeks, and two of those she spent under house arrest, so what do you expect?" he said defensively.

Remus found himself smiling, though he wanted to hex the whole lot of filthy cads for talking about Lindi that way. He thought he'd better go ahead and leave, now that he'd learned there wasn't much going on between Lindi and Rosier. He wasn't really surprised, knowing Lindi as he did, but he had to admit it was a relief, considering her rather erratic behavior these past few weeks.

He slid along the stone wall and managed to get out into the corridor without being found out and hurried back up the stairs. When he reached the landing outside the Hospital Wing, his friends were no longer there and he had to risk opening the door himself. He checked the map. Madam Pomfrey was in her office. There was no sign of the Healer from St. Mungo's. With the pending arrival of Melcore, he must have thought it safe to leave. No one was coming along the corridor, so he quickly slipped inside. The nurse's office door was open and flickering light streamed across the floor from inside.

Remus tiptoed across the room and looked down at Lindi, lying there still as death. But on closer inspection, he saw the blanket over her chest rise and fall shallowly. He also saw that there were thin tubes protruding from the bandages over her nose. He figured these were put in place to keep her nose open after they had removed the bones from her face.

His stomach lurched. _They had removed all the bones from her lovely face. _ Would this Melcore really be able to mend such a horrific injury?

_Yes_, he told himself sternly. Why else would Malfoy go to the trouble of bringing Melcore there at what sounded to be considerable expense to himself?

Remus studied her bandaged face to see if he could make out any form at all. That's when he noticed the small droplets of blood bubbling slightly at the ends of the nose tubes with each breath she took. Apparently, she hadn't stopped bleeding completely.

_But she's still breathing_. Grateful for that, he lowered himself wearily into the empty chair nearest to her bed, while being sure to be out of the way when anyone came to check her.

There, he waited, listening to the rain slapping at the windows and low rumbling thunder.

As he sat, silently watching her breathe, he spotted a movement from the shadows along the wall out of the corner of his eye. Turning to it, he recognized the plump rat racing across the floor. In a flash, Wormtail was darting under the Invisibility Cloak, scrambling up his leg and standing on his knee. He looked at Remus with his watery eyes and blinked, then turned towards Lindi and sat down.

Even without saying a word, it was comforting to Remus to have a friend there to keep him company during the vigil at Lindi's bedside.


	67. Too Late

**Too Late**

_**A/N: Thank you to my beta, deanine!**_

_Now, I know it doesn't really seem like a short while later, but just pretend! My readers (any that are left) should be used to that by now. . ;*) And the story continues..._

* * *

A short while later, the door opened and Lucius Malfoy walked in, followed by a man Remus assumed to be Melcore. He was a rather runtish man with stringy hair, unnaturally bronzed skin, a weak chin and pale blue, almost colorless eyes.

He immediately gave Remus the creeps. Remembering what McGonagall had said about rumors of a scandal, Remus could definitely believe it. He didn't like to judge the man on his appearance, but he couldn't help thinking Melcore looked a bit evil. Maybe it was just the connection with the likes of Malfoy.

Without announcing his arrival to the nurse, Melcore approached Lindi's bedside and started to remove the bandages from her face.

Remus almost gave himself away when he barely stifled a gasp, but Wormtail was unable to check his squeak. Fortunately, Malfoy also made a strangled gagging noise at the sight of her mangled, boneless face.

Melcore turned to Malfoy and smiled coldly. "Weak stomach, eh, Lucius?"

Malfoy took a deep breath and shifted his eyes to the ceiling.

Melcore sniggered. "It _is_ quite a mess."

He turned back to Lindi and studied her face for a moment. "This won't be easy _or quick_ and I would be paid a small fortune if this were one of my usual patients," he said, with unconcealed resentment.

"Don't worry, you'll…" But before Malfoy could finish his reply, Madam Pomfrey stuck her head around the office door.

"Oh, you're here, Mr. Melcore."

"Yes," Melcore said, casting an ever more resentful glance at Malfoy.

"He was just examining Miss Dellington and about to give me an estimate on the cost for her treatment," Malfoy said. "He's informed me that it won't be a quick fix, so I'll have ample time to get to Gringott's to make a withdrawal. It is already clear that I don't have enough gold on me to cover it." He smiled that cold, smarmy smile at the nurse and then at Melcore, who, cocking his left brow, looked mildly surprised.

"So you feel you will be able to help her?" the nurse asked.

"Certainly," Melcore said, all resentment gone. "I will need to concoct a number of potions, and I didn't bring any ingredients. I assume the Hogwarts Potions Master has well stocked stores?"

"He does. If you give me a list, I'll be happy to ask Professor Slughorn for anything you might need. If he doesn't have it, we'll get it."

"Thank you. I'll also need pictures of the girl from many angles."

"I anticipated as much," she said. "One of her friends has gone to collect some. In the mean time, would you like to see your quarters? I assume you will be staying at least through the night?"

"I'm afraid so. With this severe an injury, it could take a couple of days."

Madam Pomfrey led him through a door at the back of the Hospital Wing. Malfoy waited and Remus noticed his nose curled in distaste when he looked down at Lindi's exposed face again. Remus had to admit he couldn't look at it for long, either, but Remus was convinced that Malfoy was a Death Eater, and knowing some of the things those people were guilty of, on top of how callous Malfoy had been about what a 'bloody mess' Lindi was when he'd talked to the Slytherins earlier, Remus found it a little surprising that Malfoy was even mildly squeamish.

Of course, he knew that the Cruciatus Curse didn't have to draw blood. Remus had read of its use on a number of Death Eater victims recently, even though it was an Unforgivable Curse. Remus looked at the cold eyes of the man standing a few feet away and wondered if Malfoy had ever performed it, and a sensation like a hundred icy spider legs ran up his spine.

The door opened and Leanna came walking in, carrying something in her hand.

"Can I help you?" Malfoy asked.

"I have pictures for Madam Pomfrey," she said quietly, drawing nearer.

She glanced at Lindi and froze, a stricken look on her pretty face, and a choking whimper escaping her. She looked away quickly, going white, and swooned. Remus almost jumped out of his seat to grab her, but Malfoy caught her in time.

"You shouldn't see this," he said smoothly. "I'll give the pictures to the nurse. Let me walk you out."

"Thank you," she muttered, handing the pictures to him. "Is she going to be all right?" she asked, her voice breaking as he led her to the door.

Remus couldn't make out what was said, but Leanna smiled pitifully at Malfoy, and said, "Thank goodness," so it must have been reassuring.

No sooner had the door closed behind Leanna, than Melcore came back.

"Where's the nurse?" Malfoy asked.

"With Slughorn, getting my ingredients. She'll be back soon, so we need to talk fast."

"What is there to talk about?"

"Why, what this girl means to you, Lucius, of course," Melcore said, smiling darkly. "Why did you have me come here, and why on earth are you actually going to pay me? You _are_, aren't you? That wasn't just for the nurse's benefit?"

"You'll be paid, don't worry," Malfoy answered, annoyed, but ignored the other questions.

Melcore smiled wickedly again. "Well?"

"Well what? You have work to do. Here are the pictures you asked for."

Melcore took them and as he flipped through them, his brow kept going higher and higher into his thinning hairline. The wicked smile grew. "Well, well, she is a lovely thing, isn't she, Lucius?"

"Yes, at least she was," Malfoy said flatly.

"No wonder you want me to fix her." Melcore looked up from the pictures and cocked an eyebrow. "Does Narcissa know?"

"Does she know _what_?" Malfoy said, his voice taking on a warning tone.

"That you are going to all this trouble to mend your-er-young _friend_? Or do you call her your _niece_?" Melcore sniggered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Melcore." Malfoy's jaw was set sternly and his voice was now threatening.

"Are you saying that's not why I'm here?" Melcore went on carelessly. "It's all right, Lucius. It goes on all the time, although usually not with newlyweds. But are you a newlywed? Has it been a year already?"

"Be careful, Melcore," Malfoy said, his voice soft and dangerous. "I know it is hard for you to comprehend, but there is more to life than sex."

"_Is _there?" Melcore said, apparently unafraid of offending the probable Death Eater. "Do tell? If not for sex, why _are _you going to the not insignificant expense to have this girl, this very attractive girl, repaired?"

Malfoy looked thoughtful and then said, "Let's just say that there are advantages to having someone with Lindi's particular—shall we say _talents_ in one's debt." He smiled. It gave his face a most evil appearance. Remus really didn't like this man.

Wormtail squirmed and looked around at Remus and Remus knew he was disturbed by what Malfoy had to say, too.

"Such as?" Melcore looked like he was ready to burst with curiosity.

"That is none of your concern."

Melcore pouted, looking rather ludicrous. "You never were any fun, Lucius." He smirked, looking like he didn't believe Malfoy's denial that anything was going on between him and Lindi for a minute, but he didn't say anything else, because Madam Pomfrey came through the door with the potions ingredients. Malfoy excused himself and left the room.

Over the next few hours, Remus watched as Melcore mixed potions, dropped them into Lindi's mouth, studied the photos, waved his wand over her face, dribbled a few more drops of potion in…and so on, for what felt like an eternity. Madam Pomfrey watched closely and seemed to approve, which was a comfort.

Flashes of lightning became brighter as the sky darkened into night. Remus' foot fell asleep, but he didn't dare stamp it to revive the feeling. He looked at his watch. He was about to miss dinner. Though he didn't feel particularly hungry, he realized that he hadn't eaten since breakfast and was going to get weak.

Finally, Melcore rubbed a smelly salve on her skin and started bandaging Lindi's face, replacing the small tubes in her mashed nose. Then he left the hospital wing and the nurse went into her office.

Remus shooed Wormtail off his lap and carefully stood up. His toes tingled furiously as the feeling returned and he gingerly started to walk around. He knew he needed to get out while he had the chance, but he didn't want to leave Lindi. He walked over to look more closely, but with the bandages, he couldn't really tell anything had changed, though the tubes from her nose were clean now. That was a good sign.

Her hands were lying on top of the sheet on her stomach. Reaching out to touch them, he felt that they were still cool, but not nearly as icy as they had been, and when he lifted one of her hands in his, he could see some pale pinkness was returning to her finger tips. A huge lump formed in his throat as he finally felt confident that she would survive. Bending down, he pressed his lips to her soft hand and choked back a grateful sob. He'd truly feared he was going to lose her forever.

Yes, he knew he'd already lost her, but as long as she was still alive, he could see her, hear her voice across a room, dream of someday….

A squeak drew his attention and he looked at Wormtail, who jerked his twitchy nose towards the door. It was time to go. Before Remus turned to leave, he reached up and ran his hand tenderly over her forehead, brushing a stray strand of hair back.

"I love you, Lindi," he whispered under his breath. "I'm so sorry for everything."

The rat tugged at the bottom of his robes with its teeth. There was a momentary urge to kick it, but a noise from the nurse's office dispelled it.

Remus hurried out into the corridor and, after Wormtail transformed back into Peter, the two headed towards the Great Hall. Peter was just starting to ask him something when a group of fifth year Ravenclaws walked around the corner and fell in right behind them, causing Peter to stop talking. They found Sirius, James, and Lily in the Great Hall, quietly finishing their dinner.

For the first time since he'd sneaked into the Hospital, Remus remembered that James and Lily were supposed to be on a date. Only a few hours earlier, they had been smiling and laughing, blissfully unaware that a near tragedy was about to interrupt their long-awaited first date. What an awful way to start their romantic relationship. Hopefully it wasn't a sign of things to come.

"How is she?" Lily asked eagerly before Remus even had a chance to sit at the table across from her.

"I think she's going to be all right," he said, lowering himself onto the bench, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. It had been a very trying day. "The Healer they brought in has taken a break, and from what he was saying, he's confident there won't be any problems."

Lily sighed heavily with relief. "That is such good news." Her eyes became misty, tears of happiness and relief that Remus could relate to. She blinked them back and James put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her.

"You haven't cried all day and you're going to cry now that you know she's all right?"

Lily elbowed him teasingly. "I just might. Haven't you ever heard of tears of joy?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I have. But I told you hours ago that she'd be fine."

"Yes, but you weren't so sure of it either."

"Sure I was," he said, smiling that cheeky smile of his that made it hard to know if he was being honest or just putting on a confident face.

But Remus thought he probably meant it. Though typically a realist, James tended to be an optimist, too, and generally expected the best of life and people. Remus figured it came with the way he'd been raised. It had to be easy to be optimistic when you were well loved and as fortunate in life as James had been. In any case, that confidence and positive attitude were a large part of what made James so popular and a comfort to be around.

"Liar," Lily said, smiling brightly.

There was a tiny smirk on Sirius' lips that was probably aimed at the flirtation going on. He turned to Remus and said, "Who is this _specialist_ Malfoy was talking about?"

Peter looked up from a chicken leg he was gnawing, but waited for Remus to answer. After picking one for himself off the platter, Remus proceeded to tell them what he'd overheard in regard to Melcore, though he left out the part about Malfoy insisting he come, or that Malfoy was paying for it, and especially that bit about Malfoy having her in his debt. It seemed that Peter might have noticed he'd left that out too, by the way he looked over at Remus, but he didn't say anything, until later that evening when Sirius was taking a shower and James had resumed his date with Lily.

"Is there a reason you didn't tell them that Malfoy is the one who brought Melcore in or about Malfoy wanting to have Lindi in his debt?" Peter asked when Remus had settled onto his bed to finish some school work he'd neglected in his worry over Lindi.

Remus looked at his parchment for a moment, while he considered his response. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to get Sirius started." He looked Peter in the face. "I was just too exhausted to bother with it."

Peter nodded.

"Why didn't _you_ mention it?" Remus asked.

"Same," Peter said. "He already seems to have something against her. I figure he doesn't need another reason to not trust her…not that it matters, really. It's not like he spends any time with her anymore, but..." He shrugged his shoulders as the door opened and Sirius came in, rubbing his hair with a towel.

James didn't return until the last minute before curfew, smiling like an idiot who'd just won all the gold in Gringotts. His long anticipated date with Lily must have gone well. He was so wound up, he and Padfoot decided to go for a run around the grounds to burn off some energy, even in the inclement weather. After the day Remus hadhad, he was asleep nearly before the door closed behind them.

The next two days found him sneaking into the Hospital when he could find the time between classes and in the evenings, hidden under James' cloak. The first day, Remus overheard Melcore and Madam Pomfrey discussing Lindi's 'luck' at being unconscious, due to the excruciating pain she would have been in if she'd been awake for the regrowing of her face bones. Madam Pomfrey had called it a 'nasty business'.

Remus wondered if it was anything like the pain he felt when his bones morphed into the wolf's. Shuddering at the memories, he was grateful she was unconscious, too.

When he returned on the second night, he found that Melcore had removed the bandages to reveal her face almost back to normal, but for the fading bruising under her eyes, minor rawness of the skin where the Bludger had hit, and slight swelling of her upper lip. Considering the mess she'd been, Remus agreed that Melcore really was very good at what he did.

However, she remained unconscious.

By the third day, Madam Pomfrey was clearly getting concerned. Why wouldn't Lindi wake up?

"Well, this is outside my area of expertise," Melcore told the nurse rather unconcernedly. "I've done what I can do. The rest is up to you, I'm afraid."

Apparently, Malfoy had already paid him, and he left. Remus wasn't exactly sad to see him go. He had wondered about that _scandal_ Professor McGonagall had mentioned and the thought of Melcore being left alone with Lindi had bothered him. It had come as a great relief when Remus had heard the sharp crack that had alerted him to the arrival of Fwibble just as the door had started to close behind Remus on his way out of the Hospital. The old House Elf had sat down in the chair Remus had just vacated, looking as though he were going to stay a while. Remus figured Dumbledore had assigned a watch over her while the nurse slept.

Regardless, Melcore had done a fine job with Lindi's reconstruction, and for that, Remus silently thanked him.

Now if she would only wake up.

Madam Pomfrey tried a number of spells, a reviving potion, and even resorted to having Leanna try talking to Lindi.

"Sometimes, they're just on the edge of consciousness and need someone to call them back," the nurse said.

Leanna called to Lindi for some five minutes, obviously feeling foolish after the first couple.

Still, nothing…

Remus returned late that night, when no one else was around. Apparently Fwibble was no longer on duty, which meant they must have felt she was out of immediate danger. Remus sat down and pulled the cloak hood off, reached out and grabbed Lindi by the hands.

"Lindi, wake up," he said softly.

Nothing…Disappointment washed over him, though he felt a bit silly for it. What had he expected, the princess to awaken at the touch of her Prince Charming, like in the storybook he vaguely remembered from his childhood?

_Some Prince Charming_, he thought. Then he remembered the prince had kissed the princess. Being a child at the time, he'd thought it was rather gross when he read that. Now, looking at Lindi lying there, so beautiful, he thought what an idiot he had been!

_You're still an idiot, if you think that would work_, he told himself. _Not to mention she hates you and would probably shove you to the floor for kissing her without her permission._

But he tried it anyway, checking to be sure no one was going to see and then pressing his lips softly to hers.

Nothing...

_You really are an idiot_, he told himself when his disappointment intensified.

He sat back down, completely drained and, holding her hand again, rested his head on her bed. He just wanted to stay with her for a short while. Truth be told, after he'd realized she wasn't going to die, he'd rather enjoyed the chance to sneak into the ward and be with her, touch her hands, brush the hair from her face, just look at her. She'd probably think him a creepy stalker if she could see him, but she didn't know the whole truth.

For now, he could almost pretend they were still together, though when Rosier had come in the day before, he'd been reminded otherwise.

Remus had felt a bit like an obsessed voyeur that day, though he'd seen nothing particularly intimate. Rosier hadn't stayed long, hadn't confessed his love for her or anything like that.

_Thank goodness_…

He'd merely called her name, and then stared down at her for a moment before going to ask the nurse if Lindi would be well enough to leave the Hospital before the weekend.

"I certainly hope so," the nurse had replied, though she looked pensive.

To his great shame, Remus had hoped she'd stay in the coma until after the weekend, in order to miss that party Malfoy had talked about.

Lying there with his head resting beside her, he imagined her walking down the stairs, dressed for the party in her beautiful dress from the Crystal Ball. But rather than taking Rosier's offered arm, she smiled at _him_.

"Remus."

"Hello, Lindi," he said, smiling back.

"_Remus_," she repeated, but her voice was muffled and oddly deep, and she was shaking him gently by the shoulder.

"Lindi?" he asked, feeling dazed.

"I'm afraid not."

Remus lifted his head and realized with a stab of horror that he'd fallen asleep and been discovered, obviously in the midst of a dream, by none other than Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor, I was-" he said jumping up from the chair and dropping her hand.

The Headmaster raised his hand to silence Remus. "I understand, Remus. You don't need to explain." He looked at Remus with great empathy. "But you really need to return to your dormitory. It is after two in the morning." Then, his eyes dropped to the Invisibility Cloak.

_Oh, crap_. "Yes, Sir," Remus said, and started to walk away, hoping beyond reason that Dumbledore would just ignore the fact that Remus' head was floating in midair.

No such luck.

"One moment, Remus. May I ask where you got this?" He reached out and felt of the cloak.

"I, er, borrowed it."

"It's all right. They are not forbidden," Dumbledore said, smiling. "It is just that they are fairly rare, and this is one of the finest I have ever seen."

"It's James'. James Potter's."

"Ah, I see." Dumbledore smiled mildly again. "Well, off you go, or you won't want to get up for classes in the morning. Sleep well. I feel certain that Miss Dellington will be fine."

"Yes, Sir. Goodnight, Professor."

Remus _didn't_ want to get up the next morning, but of course he did. He was already getting behind, and didn't dare miss a class. In fact, instead of going to check on Lindi, as he would have liked, he spent his breaks and lunch finishing a paper on large mammal Transfiguration he'd left to the last possible minute.

That's why he didn't learn that Lindi had awakened earlier in the day until he was sitting at dinner.

"Lindi's awake," Lily said happily as she slid onto the bench next to James.

"When? How is she?" Remus asked eagerly.

"She woke up around noon. Madam Pomfrey's keeping her tonight for observation, but Leanna said she seems to be just fine."

A sweet moment of relief was quickly wiped away when Remus spotted Rosier walking in, and he realized Lindi had awakened before the party. Would she be allowed to go?

He got the answer late the next afternoon, as he, James, Lily, and Sirius were waiting in the Common Room to go down for dinner. Peter came through the portrait hole looking sulky, and dropped his book bag on the floor beside the fire.

"What's the matter with you, Wormtail?" James asked.

"Nothing," Peter answered. "I just got told off by Lindi, that's all."

Remus sat up, as did Sirius and Lily.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

Peter blew his cheeks up and let the air flow out slowly before he started, clearly a bit agitated. "We were finishing up our Muggle Studies project after class, and I asked her if she had anything planned for tonight. She told me she was going to that party with Rosier." He paused, frowning.

Remus' heart sank. Lindi was going with Rosier.

Remus was so upset by it, even though he'd known it was coming, that he didn't even laugh when Sirius said, "Well, we knew she probably would. You act like it's a surprise. What were you expecting when you asked her what she had planned? Didn't expect her to be free so you could ask her out, did you?"

But James had to stifle a snicker and Peter's cheeks looked like they'd been slapped.

"Course not," he said, frowning deeper. "That'd be completely idiotic."

"Yeah, but when has that ever stopped you doing something?" Sirius said, grinning.

James didn't stifle his snicker now.

"Go on, Peter," said Lily who looked on the verge of smiling until she caught the look that must have been on Remus' face. "Why'd she tell you off?"

Still blushing, but obviously thankful to Lily, he said, "Well, I told her she shouldn't go and she got very shirty with me. Not at all like her."

"What did she say?" Sirius asked.

"She asked me to give her one good reason why she shouldn't go, and I gave her about _six_, but she didn't think they were good enough, apparently."

"What did you tell her?" Lily asked, after another quick glance at Remus.

"Well, I told her she needed to rest, after being in Hospital all week, but she said she felt fine, that she'd beenresting _all week_. So I told her that with all the Death Eater attacks lately, it was probably better that she stay at Hogwarts, but she said she'd be with a large group and they were taking a Portkey so no one would have a chance to attack them."

"Did you tell her that large group she was going with was probably _full of_ Death Eaters?" Sirius asked darkly.

"Not right away, but I did tell her that Rosier was an arrogant prat who treated everyone but Pure-bloods like rubbish. That's when she started getting shirty. She said she knew perfectly well what it was like to be treated like rubbish and that _Rosier'd_ never treated herthat way." His eyes shifted to Remus, as if to check to see if Remus had caught the insinuation.

Of course he had. He felt sick to his stomach.

Peter went on. "So I told her that Rosier might not treat _her_ like rubbish but he and his friends treated everyone _else_ that wasn't Pure-blood like rubbish and that most of the people that would likely be at the party probably would, and she said unless I had a better reason than that, she'd just go and see for herself, wouldn't she?" Peter frowned again as he took a breath. "That's when I asked her why she wanted to hang around a lot of Slytherins and that they were all probably a bunch of Death Eaters."

"What'd she say to that?" asked James.

"She said I was being ridiculous, that _Evan_ wouldn't invite her to something like that, knowing she wasn't Pure-blood _or_ Slytherin, and besides, it _wasn't_ just Slytherins. That aside from her not being one, Barty Crouch had been invited by some girl, and Lisa Gibbon was going with Regulus and he's _Sirius'_ brother."

Sirius snorted. "Well, that means sod all. Maybe I should take her to meet the rest of the family."

"Yeah," Peter said, glumly. "But Barty Crouch…I mean, his dad's known for going after Dark Wizards, isn't he? He wouldn't let Barty go if it was a Death Eater party, would he?"

"How would his dad _know_ if it's a Death Eater party?" asked James. "If it was, and Barty still wanted to go, I doubt he'd admit it. And maybe Lindi's right. We don't know who all is going to be there, but I don't think Barty or Lisa Gibbon are Death Eaters and I _know_ Lindi isn't. I don't see any of them being invited to a Death Eater party. I have a feeling _those_ would be top secret."

"Just because it isn't going to be a Death Eater party, doesn't mean there probably won't be a load of Death Eaters there. Look who _is _going, and it's at Malfoy's," said Sirius, frowning. "I'd bet my flat he's one."

"Maybe old man Crouch wants Barty to go so he can keep an eye out for things," Peter added, thoughtfully.

"Or maybe it _is _just a posh party," said Lily. "And we're over thinking the whole thing."

"So you think it's all right that Lindi's going?" Peter said, a little irritated.

"I wish she wasn't," said Lily, in earnest. "But honestly, do you think Dumbledore would permit any of his students to go to something if he thought for half a minute it was dangerous?"

From the glances that went around, Remus could tell the others weren't any surer than Remus was, though he _did_ trust Dumbledore's judgment if he thought about it.

"Look," said Lily bracingly. "I don't like it any more than any of you, but she needs a solid reason for not going and right now, she obviously doesn't think there is one." She glanced at Remus again.

What did she expect _him_ to do, go tell Lindi _now_, an hour before she was set to go on a big date with another bloke?

It was too late. She liked Rosier now. And Rosier apparently liked her enough to get Malfoy to pay a large sum of money to have a Healer come all the way from America.

Unless, of course, it had been Malfoy's idea from the start, in order to _get her into his debt_…

Remus heart sank clear into his stomach. He wasn't sure which made him sicker, it being Malfoy's idea, or Rosier liking her that much.

And not only did he apparently like her enough to have Malfoy bring in an expensive Healer, he liked her enough to invite her to a formal party where his parents would apparently be in attendance, knowing they disapproved. Even worse, Lindi apparently liked Rosier enough to put herself into such an uncomfortable situation.

The whole thing was sickening, and largely Remus' own fault, which made it all the more sickening.

But it was too late for him to do anything about it now.


	68. A Cruel Joke

**A Cruel Joke**

_A/N: Thanks again go to deanine for betaing. _

_A/N 2: Randy: a British slang term for er, amorous (the polite way to say it), or horny (for the more crude and probably more accurate translation). Just in case anyone wondered… :*) I had a friend growing up named Randy. I'm glad I didn't know this then! _

_Okay, no more joking around…._

* * *

Remus was so sickened by the whole thing that he didn't even want to go down to dinner, but Sirius and Peter practically dragged him, after James and Lily had gone down alone on a date. If they hadn't, Remus might have missed seeing Lindi leave for the party.

When they approached the Great hall, the three Marauders spotted Rosier loitering about at the foot of the stairs, along with Snape, Carrow, and a sixth year whose name Remus could not recall. They were all decked out in dress robes and took turns checking their watches.

"We're going to miss the Portkey," grumbled Carrow.

Rosier looked at his watch again and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Maybe you lot should go ahead. Tell them I'm on my way. We'll take the floo from the Three Broomsticks."

"Are you out of your mind?" Snape said quietly, but not enough that it didn't carry across the cavernous hall. "It will take too long to get there. You can't be late."

"Well, I can't leave without her, either," Rosier snapped.

"Oh, dear, been stood up, Rosier?" Sirius said, delighted.

Rosier was clearly in no mood to be taunted. "Stuff it, Black! And mind your own business."

Sirius grinned.

"What's going on?" called Regulus, sticking his head around the front door. "We've got to get going. There's only one Portkey left."

"Go!" Rosier barked. "All of you go on. I'll be right there."

The others started to move away, looking uncertain.

"And if he's not," Sirius said cheerfully. "Just tell them he's been stood up and in his room nursing his wounded pride. I'm sure they'll understand."

"I'm warning you, Black," Rosier snarled.

But Carrow stepped over to Sirius and said, "He better not be. He knows we can't start the party without him."

"Yeah, why's that?" Sirius said coolly.

Carrow smiled wickedly and looked around at his friends as if to say, 'watch this," before turning back to Sirius. "Well, we can't very well start a party without sacrificing the virgin, can we? And it's his job to bring her, isn't it?"

Remus had his wand drawn before any of the snorting Slytherins could blink, and Sirius had to grab his arm to stop him hexing Carrow. The deflected spell nearly knocked a torch from its bracket, but just missed and only caused the flame to go out.

"You sick bastard," Remus breathed, trying to jerk his arm out of Sirius' grasp. "If anything happens to her..."

"Oh, get hold of yourself. Can't you take a joke?" Snape said, sneering. "You're acting like a _mad animal_."

Remus, still glaring at Carrow, relaxed his arm, and Sirius released him. Remus grudgingly put his wand away.

Perhaps it was the strain he'd been under, worrying about Lindi all week, not to mention the weight of regret he felt over having lied to her, pushing her away and into this mess in the first place, but Remus thought he _probably_ was overreacting.

Still, he'd read too much about the horrors inflicted upon innocent people by Death Eaters these last few months, and he had overheard enough from these Slytherins to know they at least agreed with the Death Eaters' ideas and Pure-blood supremacy, even if they weren't Death Eaters themselves.

Yet…

But if this party _was_ with a lot of Death Eaters… Well, Remus wouldn't be surprised at anything they might do, including sacrificing virgins.

"Go on, you lot," Rosier said, still smiling at Carrow's sick joke. "I'll be-"

Just then, the sound of heals clicking rapidly on the stone floor above announced the arrival of Lindi and Leanna. They were both slightly out of breath and had obviously been running.

"Have fun," Leanna said, though it wasn't very enthusiastic. Remus thought it sounded more like encouragement to _try_ to have fun than a belief that Lindi actually would.

Of course, he might have been experiencing wishful thinking. In any case, Lindi nodded and started down the stairs.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she called, breathless.

She looked beautiful and Remus was struck with the feeling of déjà vu.

She was wearing her gown from the Crystal Ball, the one she'd bought to wear on her first date with _him_, and he remembered how she'd come running late then too, but the smile that had lit her face when she'd seen him waiting at the bottom of the stairs that night was missing this time.

And unlike the dream he'd had in the hospital wing two nights ago, she didn't smile at him when she reached the bottom of the stairs. Nor did she ignore Rosier's offered arm. Even worse, Rosier didn't even offer it. Instead, he pulled her to him and kissed her.

And she let him, right there in front of everyone, when he grabbed her and said, "Gawd blimey, you look _ravishing_."

Mercifully, Rosier wasn't distracted by her enough to forget he was running late, so it was a very swift kiss.

"We need to hurry, but I need to do something first. Go with Black and Gibbon, and I'll catch you up," he told her.

She released his arm, looking warily at the three Marauders and the Slytherins, but as her eyes met Remus' she clenched her jaw and headed to the entrance. Remus wanted desperately to yell at her to stop.

Of course, he didn't.

Rosier walked beside Remus and turned to watch Lindi step out of the door.

He made a low groaning noise and actually licked his lips, as the door clicked shut behind her, and then turned to the Marauders and said quietly, "I just might have to _sacrifice_ her before we even get to the party."

Something like spewing lava seemed to burst in Remus' brain and he was barely cognizant of Sirius holding him back, or Peter gripping his wand arm this time. Only the sound of McGonagall's sharp voice brought him to his senses.

"What _is going_ _on _here?" she called from the doorway into the Great Hall.

"Nothing, Professor," said Sirius, voice strained from the struggle with Remus and not taking his eyes off of Rosier who had pulled his own wand.

Sirius had forced himself in front of Remus and was practically chest to chest with Rosier. They were glaring at each other viciously, Sirius slightly taller, but Rosier slightly broader. It would have been an interesting Muggle fight.

"We were just wishing Rosier here a safe trip." The muscles in Sirius' jaw bulged as he stared at Rosier a few inches in front of him. "Be very careful," he said softly, but dangerously. "It'd be a shame if anything bad happened to you."

There was no doubt it would have gotten very ugly if not for the presence of Professor McGonagall, but aside from Remus, who seemed to completely lose his mind where Lindi was concerned, none of the young men were foolish enough to start something with a professor watching.

Smirking, Rosier put his wand away, and walked towards the door; Carrow trailed him, grinning wickedly. Snape brought up the rear, stopping to gather his cloak from the stair banister. Before he passed them, Remus, after checking that McGonagall had turned away, stepped up and blocked his path.

"What-" said Snape.

But Remus cut him off and very quickly, _very softly_ said, "Don't let anything happen to her."

Snape's eyes widened.

"I mean it," Remus went on quickly. "If _anyone_ does anything to hurt her, I'll kill him."

Now, Snape's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening-"

"No," Remus cut over him again. "I'm _warning_. And I think you know I'm capable of it."

Snape's eyes narrowed even further and he looked as stunned as Remus was that Remus would use his lycanthropy as a threat. Remus normally would never dream of doing so, but this was about Lindi-and possibly Death Eaters.

"I'm not joking, Severus," Remus said with ice cold calm.

Snape's nostrils flared angrily, or with disgust, probably both, and he stalked off towards the door.

When it closed behind him, Remus and his friends turned to go into the Great Hall, only to find Leanna had come down the stairs and was standing at the foot of them, watching.

"Hello there," Sirius said, a little too cheerily.

"Hello," she answered flatly.

But her attention was on Remus. It was clear that she strongly disliked him, from the way she was glaring. Aside from the bad feelings over his hurting Lindi, he knew that he had also been the cause of much tension between Leanna and Sirius. In fact, they had broken up at least twice because of disagreements regarding Remus' treatment of Lindi.

Granted, they had broken up the last time because of Sirius' treatment of Lindi, over the provocative advertisement, but more times than not, their arguments seemed to be over disagreements on whether Remus was a nasty rotten cad or not.

Knowing Sirius kept choosing Remus' friendship over the romance with Leanna only added to the guilt Remus carried over everything else. Leanna was a great girl, sweet, pretty, smart. She and Sirius made a good couple. Sirius obviously liked her. He'd been seeing her again since the day Lindi had been injured and seemed pleased enough about it.

But Remus figured that Sirius wasn't in love with Leanna. At least not yet… If he had been, surely he would never let her feelings about Remus come between them.

But it still made Remus feel guilty.

"We'll just go on in," Remus said, to give Sirius a moment to talk with Leanna privately.

"No, don't," she said. "I want to know what is wrong with you!"

"Let it go, Leanna," Sirius said firmly.

Great, they were going to get in yet another fight because of _him._

"It's all right, Sirius." Remus turned toward her and smiled rather miserably. "There really isn't enough time left in the day to answer that."

She obviously didn't think he was funny.

Neither did he.

"I'm serious," she said. "Why are you doing this?"

"He isn't _doing _anything, other than trying to go eat, Lea," Sirius said.

"You know what I mean!" she snapped at him. "Messing with Lindi's mind like he does!"

"Hey, she's the one taking up with a lot of Death Eaters in training. _He_ didn't make her do it. _He _didn't say a word to her."

"No, he didn't," she said, viciously. "He almost never does. Not since he dumped her so he could go mess around with other girls. Not a word! He just looks at her with those-those _dreamy_ eyes of his! Yeah, she _still_ thinks they're dreamy!" she added angrily, when Sirius' eyebrows went up as if he thought _she_ was the one who may have thought they were dreamy.

"Every time I think she might be getting over him, she runs into him and he looks at her like he wants her back, or _so she thinks_, but then, after her hopes are up again, she runs into him after he's chatted up another girl in the library, or in Hogsmeade. And just when she's _finally _ready to accept that he really doesn't care, he shows up and gets in a row with her new boyfriend or something!" She rounded on Remus again. "_Why_? If you don't want her, why can't you let her move on to someone who _does_?"

Even Sirius seemed at a loss for words and looked at Remus with a frown and a 'way to go' head shake. Peter was shuffling his feet behind Remus uncomfortably. But their discomfort was nothing to what Remus felt.

But what could he say? If he couldn't even tell Lindi the truth, he certainly couldn't tell Leanna.

He sighed. He was so very tired, so he opted for _part_ of the truth.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt her. I only wanted her to be happy. I-"

"Well, you did a _bang up_ job with that," Leanna snarled. "In case you haven't noticed, she's bloody miserable. Did you know that she cries herself to sleep most nights?" But she didn't stop to let him answer. "She's lost more than half a stone and she didn't exactly _need _to, but she has no appetite. She doesn't eat right, and she nearly bled to death from it! She-"

"Hang on," Sirius interrupted. "You can't blame him for her nearly bleeding—"

"Yes I can!" she barked back. "She's supposed to follow a fairly strict diet to help control her Von Willebrands! And she hasn't had much of an appetite since he keeps breaking her heart!"

"I thought girls ate extra when they had a broken heart," Peter said.

Leanna gave him a withering look and Sirius rolled his eyes as if to say, 'you're not helping'. Peter went back to shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"It isn't his fault if she won't eat, Lea," Sirius said reasonably. "People break up all the time and go on eating."

"Oh, trust me; I _know_," she said scathingly. "But it's like I said. Every time she starts to get over it, he makes her think he still cares. On top of it, these bloody Death Eaters are killing people left and right. And Will-Will gets _murdered_..." She choked up, her eyes misting over. After a struggle to stop herself crying she said in a quivering voice. "She's a mess. She hardly even talks to _me_ anymore. She doesn't want to hang out in the Common Room or the Library, and her marks are atrocious, because she doesn't even want to _study_!"

"Blimey," Sirius breathed. "She doesn't even want to _study_?" He smirked a bit playfully, but just playfully enough to not be offensive.

Once again, Remus was awed by Sirius' coolness. If Remus had tried to make light at a moment like this, he was sure a girl would hex him.

Leanna did seem torn between wanting to rip Sirius' head off, and being totally charmed.

"It's not funny, Sirius."

"I know it isn't, but you can't hold it all against Remus. He really isn't _trying_ to hurt her. You can trust _me_ on that." He turned and considered Remus for a moment, as if trying to decide something. "Honestly, he's just as miserable as she is; he just holds it together better." Then, smirking at Remus, not at allplayfully, he added, "At least_ most_ of the time."

Remus sighed again and almost smiled. It was like Sirius was giving his blessing for Remus to admit he still cared for Lindi, even if Sirius did think he was an idiot for doing it.

"Then _why_?" Leanna implored.

"I thought it would be best," Remus answered honestly. "I still think it would be, except for the fact that she's going out with a bloke like Rosier."

"_Why_?"

"Because Rosier's a bleeding evil Slytherin berk," said Peter, braving another try at joining the conversation.

"Well, at least we know she doesn't really _like_ him," said Sirius. "She's only going out with him to get back at Moony."

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Leanna said, obviously frustrated. "But that's also not true," she added, clearly distracted by Sirius' assertion. "She actually _does _like him. She might have gone out with Ludo Bagman to get back at him-and that prat Phillipe." She made a disgusted face that made Remus want to ask about this Phillipe person, but she went on quickly. "But she isn't going out with Evan to get back at him. She's doing it to get_ over _him."

Remus' heart broke a little more, and he hadn't thought there was enough of it left un-broken to break.

"How on earth can she actually like that evil git?" asked Sirius.

It was Leanna's turn to smirk. "I'm not crazy about him, either. He's arrogant and some of his friends are really vile, but just because he's a Slytherin doesn't make him _evil_," she said. "Actually, he can be quite charming, when he wants to be. And he's very easy on the eyes, you know?"

Sirius and Peter both made sounds of disgust.

"Sorry, but it's true," she continued.

"So she fancies him because he's good looking?" Peter asked.

"I told you, she's trying to get over _him_," she said, jerking her thumb toward Remus. "And if you're trying to _make_ yourself like someone, it helps if he's nice to look at."

But Remus didn't care if Rosier was nice to look at. "Do you think she still cares for me, then?" he asked, not caring if he sounded as pathetic as he felt.

Leanna looked completely incredulous. "You're joking, right?" She rolled her eyes. "_No_, I don't think she still cares for you. I _know_ it. Any fool could see it."

Feeling as if a balloon had inflated inside his chest, he wanted to shout for joy. But as this was Remus, he didn't.

"I think we've already established that I'm a fool, but I would have sworn she hated me," he said, instead.

"Well, she does." She smirked again. "Consider it a love hate relationship."

For the first time in ages, Leanna actually looked like _she_ didn't hate him. Perhaps she accepted Sirius' assertion that Remus was as miserable as Lindi.

"What time do you expect her back?" he asked.

"Dumbledore told them to be back by curfew. Why?"

"I don't know; just curious I guess, but thank you." He turned to Sirius. "I'm going to go eat. I have patrol later. See you inside."

"I'll be there in a minute," Sirius said.

"Wait!" Leanna cried. "Aren't you going to tell me why you broke up with her if you still fancy her?"

Remus hesitated.

"Because it never made sense," she added.

"Why didn't it make sense?" asked Sirius.

"Because he'd been a perfect gentleman for months, and suddenly he breaks up with her because she won't _shag_ him the first time he actually tries? It just doesn't follow."

Sirius and Peter both looked at him with incredulous smirks.

_Crap… _"It's-hard to explain," Remus answered. "I just felt it was best."

"You panicked when she said she loved you, didn't you?" she said, reminding Remus strongly of Lindi in her directness. "Things got serious and you panicked."

Remus blinked.

"That was the first thing I thought of when she told me," Leanna continued. "It made a lot more sense than you dumping her for sex, when you'd never even really attempted it before."

_Bloody crap_…the looks on Peter and Sirius' faces, on top of Leanna's directness, made Remus' face start to burn.

"Er…" he said lamely, but then he realized it was an easy way out of this rather dangerous line of questioning, and not completely untrue. He _had _panicked at the idea of Lindi being so serious about him and what it would do to her.

"It was something like that."

"I _knew_ it! So why didn't you just tell her you weren't ready for a serious commitment?" she said sounding as if some of her anger was returning. "It might have hurt her, but not as badly as thinking you didn't care about her for anything other than _sex_."

Remus really wished she'd stop saying sex. His face was about to spontaneously combust.

She went on. "Honestly, it was a cowardly way to handle it, especially for a Gryffindor."

"Oy! He tried, Lea!" said Sirius to the rescue. "He said she was too young, and they should see other people…It isn't like he said, 'well, you won't have sex with me so I'm going to find someone who will.' That's just what her nutter brain twisted it into."

"Sirius, don't. It isn't her fault and I don't blame her," Remus said. "The timing _was _suspicious, considering what I..." How his face burned. "Anyway, as you know, I did encourage her to believe it." He turned to Leanna. "I promise you, I thought it would be best to help her get over me and make it easier for her. I'm very sorry."

There was a perplexed look on her face. "I just don't understand why you didn't just tell her you needed to cool things off a little, rather than completely breaking up with her, since you must still fancy her."

Remus nodded. "I…I handled it poorly."

Leanna nodded in agreement. "That's an understatement. So now what are you going to do?"

"Yes, Moony," said Sirius. "Now what are you going to do?"

"There's not much I can do, is there? She's out with Rosier." The thought let much of the air out of that balloon in his chest. "I need to go eat, now. I have Prefect rounds. It was good to talk to you, Leanna." He started to walk away, but stopped. "Please don't say anything about this to Lindi."

"No, I won't. You should definitely be the one to do that. It would just upset her coming from anyone else."

He nodded in understanding.

"See you later," she said.

And Remus found a small measure of comfort in those three words.

He and Peter went into the Great Hall. It was loud with happy chattering and clinking of china and crystal. James and Lily were sitting at the far end of the table, engrossed in their own conversation. Remus took a seat halfway up, to give them privacy. He and Peter sat quietly, as Remus was absorbed in his own thoughts, mainly worry that Lindi would truly fall for Rosier before Remus had a chance to talk to her. Then wondering what he would say if he had the chance.

He still didn't know by the time dinner was over and Leanna came and sat beside Sirius. They had made arrangements to do something, so Remus and Peter headed to the Tower, walking along still not saying much. Peter seemed to understand Remus' need to think.

Remus feared he might go insane from the frustration and worry over what might be happening at Malfoy's. Now that he'd had a chance to calm down, he thought it unlikely that Lindi was in any actual danger, knowing that Dumbledore knew where she was and with whom.

No, now that he'd got hold of himself, his greatest fear was that Lindi would succeed in making herself like Rosier.

Remus imagined the party. It would be posh, like Lily said, and Rosier would be on his best behavior, trying to impress her.

_Would_ he?

But how would others treat her? Would she be welcomed, or would they ostracize her for being Half-blood, and in turn make her question the kind of man Rosier was for associating with such people?

And what about Malfoy? What had he meant by wanting her in his debt? Why had he said she 'needed' to be at the party?

Yes, it was about to make Remus crazy. Once in the dormitory, he tried practicing Charms that he'd been neglecting for days, but he couldn't concentrate.

"I'm going on a patrol," he told Peter, after fidgeting on his bed a while. He figured the walk at least would do him some good.

Unfortunately, no one was up to mischief. Not that he liked telling people off, but it would have been a distraction.

He wandered back to the Common Room. It was noisy and crowded, as usual on a Friday night. Peter was sitting with a group of sixth years. Remus didn't feel like socializing, so he headed up to his room. Time dragged. He checked the map to see if she might have come back early.

She hadn't.

He started another patrol at ten thirty, toying with the idea of hanging around the entrance hall so he could see her when she came in, but he realized how awkward and pathetic it would make him look. Besides, what was he going to do, tell Rosier to get lost so Remus could talk to his girlfriend? He could just imagine how well that would go over.

It was probably best to let her finish her date and try to talk to her the next day.

If it wasn't too late…

He did his normal rounds. Since only Seventh years could be out this late, the halls were nearly deserted as eleven o'clock drew near, with only a few people walking dates back to their houses.

A consoling thought struck him when he saw a couple coming out of a classroom looking a bit disheveled. At least Rosier and Lindi wouldn't have time to snog or anything, since the party had obviously run nearly to curfew.

Unless they were snogging at the party.

_Don't think about it…_

He wandered back to the Common Room which was still fairly crowded. He spotted Peter talking to a girl, though he couldn't see who, since her back was to him and they were in a dark corner. Any other time he probably would have given at least halfhearted thought into the possibility that Peter might have chatted her up, but not tonight.

He headed up to the dormitory and found James and Lily in the room. He could tell he'd interrupted them kissing because James' glasses were slightly askew and they both turned a little pink, even if they had parted quickly enough at the sound of the door opening that he hadn't actually caught them in the act.

"Sorry," he said, going a little pink himself.

"No problem," they said. James straightened his glasses.

"Been on patrol?" Lily asked, no doubt to divert attention from the awkwardness of the moment.

"Yes. Sirius isn't back?" he asked, to do the same.

"Nope," said James. "He'd better hurry. I'd hate for you to have to write him up." James smiled, knowing neither of them would do such a thing.

"Did you happen to see any of the party goers come in?" Lily asked, a tad more tentatively.

"No," Remus answered.

"Maybe _they'll_ be late," said James. "I would _love_ for you to write them up."

"You're so cruel," Lily said, elbowing him playfully. "What about poor Lindi? She's already had more than enough trouble lately."

"Maybe it would teach her not to run round with gits," said James, though Remus thought he was being a bit hypocritical. Hadn't they nearly gotten Lindi into trouble for being out of bounds when they took her into the forest?

Oh, that had been a blissfully wonderful night, even if she had left him more frustrated and confused than ever.

Remus sat on the edge of his bed, remembering.

"Tired, Remus?" Lily asked.

"A bit. It's been a long week."

"Yeah," she said, gazing at him with understanding. "I'll let you get ready for bed. The Ravenclaw Prefects can do any writing up that needs to be done. Eh?" She smiled sympathetically and slid off the side of James' bed before Remus could object. "Good night."

James walked her out. Remus pulled out the Marauder's Map and checked it. The halls were now deserted, but he saw a cluster of dots climbing the steps to the Castle.

They were back. His shoulders seemed to relax. He hadn't realized he'd been so tense. He watched as they moved into the Entrance Hall and started to disperse, most of them, including Snape and Carrow, going towards the Slytherin Dungeon. Barty Crouch and Lydia Pritchard walked that way and stopped, probably saying goodnight. Lindi and Rosier, and Regulus and Lisa Gibbon stood in the entrance for a moment and then Regulus walked Lisa up to the landing on the way to Ravenclaw Tower, but they stopped only a moment and Regulus headed back down. Lindi and Rosier moved down the corridor.

Queasiness gripped Remus' stomach. Would she really mean it when she kissed Rosier goodnight this time?

But it looked like the kiss would have to wait, because Regulus was now making his way towards them instead of down to the Slytherin Dungeons with Lydia.

Remus saw Barty climbing the stairs to Ravenclaw, but Lisa was well ahead of him, moving quickly.

Remus waited, watching the three dots of Lindi, Rosier, and Regulus. He knew he shouldn't be spying, but he wanted to see her safely into her house. He'd sleep much better then. Finally, Regulus started moving back towards the Slytherin hall, and then, Remus felt his throat constrict. Rather than pause for a moment to say goodnight and then walk her to her house, Lindi and Rosier started moving farther down the corridor.

Rosier wasn't taking her for privacy just to say goodnight.

And she was going with him, even though it was now after curfew. She could have used that as an excuse if she'd wanted one…

He turned the map over, unable to watch, not wanting to know where they were headed.

_You should have waited in the Entrance Hall_, he told himself, feeling like a troll was now standing on his chest, the balloon busted into pieces. _No matter how much of a pathetic fool you looked. Now it's too late_, he thought bitterly.

_It _is_ too late_, he thought again. _For them to be out of their Houses. _

It occurred to him that he had the authority to make them return to their Houses. Lindi would be mortified_,_ he knew. _And furious…_

He was wrestling with the idea of barging in on them anyway, when Sirius showed up.

"Was that Jane Coote snogging Wormtail in the corner of the Common Room?" he asked.

James snorted. "No idea; go Wormtail."

"What's the matter with you, Moony?" Sirius asked when Remus didn't react.

"Nothing. I'm just tired." He slipped the map under the school work he'd had out so they wouldn't see that he'd been watching Lindi.

He could see their reflections in the window beside his bed, and Sirius looked at James who shrugged and gave him a 'let it drop' look.

_Thank you, James._

Suddenly, there was a sharp rap on the window.

"What the devil is an owl doing here this time of night?" asked James, as Remus hurried to let it in.

A chill wind flew in along with the bird and Remus closed the window behind it quickly and turned to find the tawny owl perched on his bed, staring at him.

"I think that's Leanna's owl," said Sirius.

Remus snatched the piece of parchment out of its beak and read the obviously hastily scribbled note.

_Remus,_

_This is awkward and she'll probably kill me, but I don't have time to worry about that. I'm worried about Lindi. I don't know exactly what is going on with you, but if you really do care about her, please help me. Lisa just got back and told me that Lindi has been drinking, LOADS, and she hasn't come back to the room. Lisa said she came in with her and the others, but Evan didn't bring her back. Normally, I'd say it was her business, but if she's drunk… Well, I don't want her to do something she'll regret and I KNOW she'll regret it if she shags him while she's drunk. You're a prefect. Will you find them and bring her here? Please._

_Leanna_

_p.s. You might try the potions dungeon. _

Well, that solved his inner conflict. He grabbed the Marauder's Map.

"What is it?" James and Sirius said together.

Remus thrust Leanna's note at them, not noticing who took it, as he was searching the map. Unfortunately, the search feature had been on the fritz for a while, never having worked very well. However, it didn't take long to find them, since everyone else was in their House by now.

They weren't in the Potions Dungeon.

_That bloody git took her to a broom cupboard? _

Knowing Lindi as he did, he knew Leanna was right. Lindi would regret it for the rest of her life.

"That bastard probably _got_ her drunk," said James. "Did you find them?"

"Yes. Can I-" He turned and found James pulling his Invisibility Cloak from his bottom drawer.

"Let's go," said James, shoving the cloak under his robes.

"Need some help?" Sirius asked, holding the note.

"No. Moony and I can handle it." James grabbed his Head Boy badge off the dresser.

Remus had been ready to say he could handle it alone, but he really didn't need to. The more people involved, the more embarrassed Lindi would be, but he had a feeling she wasn't going to react too well to him showing up, and he really didn't want to have to deal with that _and_ Rosier if Rosier decided to put up an argument.

They rushed down the stairs and out the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady when she asked where they were going. Down the corridor and through the castle they ran, fearing they'd get there too late.

When they finally reached the passage to the Dueling Hall they heard raised voices inside.

Were Rosier and Lindi fighting? But as they drew nearer the Hall, the words became clearer.

"Get out of it, Peeves!" Rosier growled.

"_Peeves_," James and Remus said quietly, looking at each other and bursting into grins. Remus had never been so glad to have the nuisance poltergeist around.

James pulled the Invisibility Cloak out, flung it around the two of them and they slinked into the Hall. The door to the notorious broom cupboard stood slightly ajar.

"I'll have the Bloody Baron after you for this!" Rosier barked furiously.

They heard Peeves start singing.

_"Oh, Rosier, you awful naughty lad,_

_girls think you're a dandy,_

_and not at all bad,_

_but Peeves knows you're randy,_

_a real wanton cad."_

"SHUT UP!"

Suddenly, there were sounds like small rocks hitting the door and Peeves flew out covering his head. A couple of butterbeer caps landed on the floor a few feet from James and Remus.

Remus thought Peeves had probably been chucking them at Rosier and Lindi, since he was always throwing things at people. Remus smiled to himself when he saw Rosier fling the door open wide and brandish his wand so that more of the caps chased the poltergeist.

Rosier was very red in the face and looked positively murderous. James smiled at Remus and they both had to stifle a laugh as Peeves sped around the room singing, "_Randy randy Rosier_…" before he shot through the ceiling as a butterbeer cap smashed into it behind him so hard that it stuck into the rafter.

Rosier turned with a growl and went back into the cupboard and slammed the door behind him. However, it didn't shut completely and bounced open a large crack because of a cap in the jam. Rosier didn't seem to notice.

"Now, where were we?" he said huskily.

Through the gap in the door, Remus could see him grabbing Lindi round the waist.

"Eban," she said, slurring her words. "Whadif he tells on us? We should juss goda bed."

"Oh, I thought you'd never ask," Rosier answered in a guttural voice and pulled her to him, kissing her neck.

Remus thought he might gag and made a move towards the door, but James stopped him, and put a finger to his lips to silence Remus when Lindi's voice drifted out again.

"_Eban_," she said. "Isslate. I'm tired an don' feel-"

"Come on, Lindi," Rosier snapped, and then he softened his voice again, covering his obvious annoyance. "Don't let that idiot mess this up. This was a big night for me. I want to celebrate."

James gave Remus a significant look.

"Thought thass what we been doin all nigh," she said and she hiccupped.

Lindi was really plastered.

"Well, yeah, but like I said, it was a really big night," Rosier said. "And now I want to have a _special_ celebration, just you and me."

Remus didn't think he could stomach anymore, even if they might get interesting information. He looked at James, but James shook his head and mouthed "wait".

"Why? Wha' wusso spessial bou' tonight? Where did you lot go all tha time?"

James shot Remus another look.

But Rosier said, "Nowhere. I told you; we just had some Slytherin business to discuss."

"Well, it wassa liddle wude, Eban. It wass vewy awkard. Radeya kep garing at me and Missus Malfoy…She obiousy doesn' care for me adall."

"They're just jealous. Now, where were we?" He tried kissing her again, but she pulled her head back.

Remus was feeling very good about the way she was avoiding kissing Rosier.

"I sink we need to go."

"No we don't. We're celebrating, remember?"

Remus could tell Rosier was working very hard to hide his frustration.

"Why are weceberating?"

"I _told_ you. It was a special night for me," he said, teeth clenched. Then he smiled and added, "and _you're_ special to me." He tried to lean in and kiss her but she leaned back once more.

"Why? Do you yove me, Eban?" She looked at him with such a sweetly pitiful expression on her face and then hiccupped again.

Remus could have laughed or cried. He wanted to rush in and put a stop to this, but he knew James was hoping to get more information on what had gone on at that party.

Rosier smiled at her again, and to Remus surprise, it wasn't at all a lecherous smile, but held genuine affection. Remus wasn't sure why it was a surprise though. She was so adorable; how could anyone not have affection for her?

"Yeah, Lindi, I _yove_ you," Rosier said and grabbing her by the head, pulled her in and kissed her hard.

Lindi seemed to melt into him for a moment of absolute torture for Remus. That was it. He looked at James and mouthed, 'NOW'.

Before James could stop him, he started to remove the cloak, but Lindi's breathless voice interrupted again.

"No you don', Eban."

Rosier groaned. "Come on, Lindi! How do you know I don't?"

"Because you don'…_do you_?"

She gazed at him with those gorgeous but glassy brown eyes. Rosier stared at her, rather blankly and after a minute, he let go of her and turned away. "Gawd blimey, Lindi. What do you want me to say? That we'll get married?" He turned back to her. "Do you want me to go find the Fat Friar? He can marry us; he's _a friar_. Then we can celebrate properly."

But apparently even Lindi, drunk as she was, could tell he was speaking from frustration.

"No," she said, shaking her head and swaying slightly. "You don' wanna marry me. You juss wanna _petend_ we're married for tonigh." She smiled a defeated smile.

Rosier stared at her again and then sighed and looked at the ceiling. "For the love of Slytherin, Lindi! You met my parents tonight…all my relatives…" He looked at her very seriously, now. "Didn't you figure it out? I'm not _allowed_ to love you, much less marry you."

She blinked and swayed a little more, looking slightly amazed. She smiled sadly. "Well, atyeasyou're honess_." _And she hiccupped again.

It was pitiful.

Remus avoided James' eyes when he looked around. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but he actually felt sorry for Rosier.

Of course, Rosier was a grown man and he could reject his parents' Pure-blood bigotry, but Remus knew it would be hard for anyone to turn against everyone and everything they had ever known and loved.

Even if it was for Lindi…

"Let's just forget the party, and my parents, and the Fat Friar," said Rosier going to her again and taking her by the face. "I want to be with you. We might not be able to out there, but we can do whatever we want in here. And I want you…"

He kissed her again, quite passionately. Remus was a bit shaken by all he'd heard and seen. He couldn't quite decide if now was the time to go in there or if he should just turn around and leave them alone.

Before he figured out what to do next, Rosier had lowered her onto the mass of cushions and was pulling the strap of her dress off her shoulders.

_Umm…you better do something or leave_, Remus thought, starting to get very embarrassed. His heart was racing.

James looked at him questioningly.

It was more difficult when he knew Rosier wasn't just out to blatantly use her without caring for her at all.

_But she's drunk_…

The heavy breathing and slurping noises were getting louder.

"I'm going in," Remus whispered.

But James grabbed his arm. "Hang on-just a minute," he whispered back.

"_What_? No, this is-_sick_."

"I know, but just wait a minute."

"We're not going to get anymore information," Remus said quietly, though the way Rosier was breathing he doubted they'd hear him if he'd yelled.

"I know," James answered. "It's not that. Just give Lindi a chance."

_Chance for what?_ Remus wondered. And to his horror, he saw Rosier starting to slide the skirt of her dress up.

Remus was going to put a stop to this. He pulled his arm away from James' grip and grabbed the cloak.

"Unggk," Lindi gasped. "Weemus, _don't_. We can't."

Remus froze.

James turned to him with eyes the size of saucers and a grin slowly spread across his face.

Rosier pushed himself off her and stared, looking like he'd been doused with a bucket of ice water.

"What did you say?" he said, still breathing rather heavily.

"I said we can'," she said struggling to sit up and pulling the strap of her dress up, but it slipped back down.

"No before that. What did you call me?"

"Wha? I-"

"You called me _Remus_!"

Her eyes grew wide and she clapped her hand to her mouth. "Nooo! I didden…"

"Yeah, you did." He stood up and stared down at her.

"Oh…Eban, I diddn' mean to. I don' know why…"

"Are you still in love with that scrawny little poof?"

Remus' heart was starting to beat faster and it had nothing to do with Rosier's insults.

Lindi flushed crimson. "Wha? _No_. No, I-he's-he's awful, he's a—he's-_ugh_! I don' _yove_ him. He juss wansa—" She waved her hand around rather manically. "_Shag_ me," she finally said. "An evvy other girl ad Hogwars! He's no poof. Tust me!"

Rosier looked at her with raised brows. "You mean that rumor about him dumping you because you wouldn't shag him is true?"

Lindi looked down, embarrassed, and nodded.

James shot Remus a glance and Remus knew he was just as surprised to find out that the stupid rumor had traveled all the way to Slytherin as Remus was.

"Blimey," said Rosier. "All these years, I would have sworn that scrawny git was a eunuch."

For a half second, Remus thought it might be fun to turn Rosier into a eunuch, but he really didn't care what Rosier thought. He cared what Lindi thought.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "He definly snot a eunuch. And he's not dat scawny. Hes jus sim." She hiccupped again.

Remus smiled. Merlin's beard, she was an adorable mess.

"And he's pwetty tall. He's stonger than you sink, too."

Rosier was now staring down at her dully. "You _are _still in love with him."

Remus almost felt sorry for him, but not quite.

"NO," she insisted again. "Nome not. I _hate_ him. He'sa big pwat! He mays me _sick_!" She wobbled a little. "I don feel so good." She laid back onto the cushions and breathed deeply.

With a huge grin, James pulled out his wand and nudged Remus towards the wall, out of the view of the doorway. When they couldn't be seen, he pulled the cloak off of them and tucked it into his robes pocket and mouthed "Now," still grinning.

"What the _devil_?" Rosier said when they stepped into the cupboard. He started to reach for his wand but stopped at the sight of James' pointing at him. "What do you think you're doing? Get out of here!"

"No, sorry, but we can't do that," said James cheerfully. "We heard Lindi call." He smiled wickedly. "Call _him-_" James nodded towards Remus. "To be exact. _Weemus_."

Rosier's face blazed. "You bloody…How long have-"

"Whas goin on?" Lindi said. She looked up and her eyes grew wide when she saw Remus. "Whadder _you_ doin here?" she snapped angrily, and struggled to raise herself up again.

She made it to a sitting position, but had to roll off the cushions and onto her knees and then, with a hand from Rosier, pulled herself to stand. Actually, he pulled her up. She swayed precariously when she flung her hair out of her face and Rosier grabbed her around the waist to steady her.

She was an absolute mess. A beautiful one, with that tussled hair, dress strap hanging off her smooth bare shoulder, dress slipping down to expose a glimpse of a shimmering black corsett…

But a mess just the same.

"We're going to take you back to your dormitory, where you belong," James said.

She looked from James to Remus. Her eyes bored into him, fury focusing the glassy stare.

"Whaddif I don' wanna go?" she spat. "Eban and I are _ceberating_." And she snuggled up to him.

Rosier sneered and pulled her tighter.

"Celebrating what?" James asked innocently.

"None of your business," said Rosier.

"Well, the party's over," said James, with authority. "Come on, Lindi."

James reached out and took her by the arm, but she jerked it away and in doing so, lost her balance and fell back with a squeal, fortunately onto the pile of cushions. When James lunged to stop her falling, Rosier reached across and grabbed James' wand, ripping it from his hand and shoving him into the wall. Remus drew his wand quickly and hit Rosier with the Impediment Jinx.

"Are you an _idiot_?" James cried at Rosier, bending down and picking up his wand again. "You are a _prefect_, but I can have you stripped of the title if you want."

Rosier stood up and straightened his robes, looking livid. "I don't give a-"

The sound of retching immediately followed by a sickening splatter cut his rant off and they all turned quickly towards Lindi.

She had rolled off the cushions again and was on her hands and knees, heaving, a large puddle of sick on the floor in front of her.

"Oh, blimey," said James, cringing and turning away quickly.

"_Urghh_," groaned Rosier. He, too, turned away.

Remus brandished his wand and a pail flew off the shelf and under her face, to catch the rest. He rushed towards her and, kneeling behind her, grabbed her hair, pulling it back out of the way.

"You know," said Rosier. "I think you may be right. I think I will let you see her back to Ravenclaw, since you insisted." He smirked and slipped around James and out the door.

"Worthless sorry git," James muttered after he was gone.

Lindi's retching continued and James winced.

"Go on, Lindi; get it all out," Remus said softly. "You'll feel better."

After a few dry heaves, she groaned and sat back on her heels. She turned her face to look at him. Her eyes were watery and she blinked. When she'd clearly focused on him, she raised her arm and shoved his that was still clutching her hair away.

"Geroff me!" she gasped, and maneuvered herself clumsily back to sit on the stack of cushions.

Remus glanced up at James who frowned.

"Would you like me to help clear this mess up or can you handle it on your own?" he asked.

"I'll manage it," Remus said.

"No you won't! Jus go way! I'll do it myself!" Lindi snarled. But she didn't make a move to do anything. Rather, she let out a small groan and lay back onto the cushions.

Remus looked back to James who smirked.

"Right. Well, if you're sure." James hesitated for a moment and then grinned again. "Good luck, _Weemus_."

The smile stretched Remus' lips before he could stop it. "Thanks. I'm probably going to need it."

James chuckled as he walked into the Dueling Hall and left them alone.

Remus glanced at her to be sure she wasn't going to be sick again, and caught her watching him from beneath her forearm, which was draped over her forehead. He struggled to stop smiling, not wanting to enrage her.

"Are you all right?"

She glared. "Waddo you care?"

He sighed, and wondered what he should say. Did he want to get into a serious discussion with her in that condition? Did he dare do so?

To give himself time, he turned his attention to the mess on the floor. "Evanesco." And then did the same with the bucket, which he then picked up and put on the shelf. When it was all cleaned up, he turned to her again. She was struggling to sit up. He knelt down in front of her and reached out his hand. "Let me help you."

Still glaring, she took it and let him pull her up to sit. She groaned again.

Her breath smelled of alcohol and vomit. Not her usual pleasant scent. "Here, Lindi. Let's rinse your mouth. You'll feel better."

He was a bit surprised that she didn't argue. "Don have a toofbush."

"I'll do it; you just open your mouth and then rinse and spit into this bucket." He stretched up and took it back off the shelf, held it under her chin and lifted his wand to a few inches in front of her mouth.

"Mentha Aguamenti."

A fresh minty smelling water flowed out of the wand and into her mouth. At first, she coughed and almost choked.

"Sorry," he said and held it a little farther away so it didn't hit her with such force.

She swished it around, some spilling down her chin and spit it in the bucket. "A little more," he said gently.

When she had rinsed well, he stopped the flow, and taking a rag from the shelf, wiped her mouth and chin. Oh, he loved taking care of her.

Finally he said "Evanesco," again, clearing the bucket once more, and then, standing up, he set it back on the shelf.

"Better?"

She nodded. He saw that her eyes were a little misty and he got the feeling it wasn't from drinking or the vomiting.

"Why are you here, Weemus?"

There it was. The question that would start the conversation they had to have, but really needed to wait until she was in a better state of mind.

But he couldn't just ignore her. He took a deep breath and then said calmly, "I was worried about you."

She snorted. "Sinz when?"

_Since I broke your heart_, he wanted to say, but he said, "Look, Lindi, it's getting late and you aren't exactly sober. Let me take you back to Ravenclaw Tower and we can talk tomorrow."

"Talk abou' wha'? How you wan' me to dade other bokes? I know! You aweady tode me!" She was getting riled up again. "So I did! So why'djoo come and innerup us? Didn joo have a date of your own? Weren' any of your _girlfends_ fee tonigh? I'm supised you weren' aweady using this boomcubbard!"

Well, her speech was definitely still affected, but her mind seemed to be more focused than he would have thought. She was clearly going to force a discussion whether he wanted it just now or not. He sighed once more.

"I haven't used this broom cupboard since you and I…" He couldn't stand to say the words _broke up_, so he left them hanging between them.

She snorted again. "Oh, righ', I spose you take em to the secert woom. More pivacy, eh?" she asked disdainfully and hiccupped.

"You are the only girl I've ever taken there."

Her glare faultered for a moment, but she recovered. "Oh, thass righ'. You date Giffindors, so you jus take em to your woom I guess. I'm sure it's mush easier tha' tway!"

He shook his head.

"So you foun' somepace even bedder, eh?"

"No, there is no place, because there are no girls."

She blinked. "Whaddo you mean? Of course dere are. I've seen you widdem!"

He shook his head again. "You were mistaken."

"No. I know whad I saw."

He shook his head once more.

"Yes! Whaddabou' Mary McDonal…"

Head still shaking he said, "We are just friends. I was going with her to help her with the Patronus Charm."

"Bud joo were at the Quiddish mats together. I saw you."

A tiny smile crept onto his face as he shook his head again. "Mere coincidence. She just sat next to me. She was there to watch Nicholas Connelly, actually. They had a date that night and I think they've been seeing each other since. I'm not sure, but I _am_ sure that _I_ have never been out with Mary."

She seemed a bit stunned by this news, but pulled herself together, or as well as she could while still quite inebriated. "Well, Ceya…"

He shook his head more fervently. "Nope, not since before you and I started dating."

"Well-_who_ then?"

"_No one_. I told you, there are no other girls, Lindi. There hasn't been one since you."

"Why?" she asked, looking confused. "They turned you down?"

"No." He smiled. "I never asked anyone. I didn't want to be with any other girl."

She blinked again, looking completely discombobulated. "But…I thought…" her eyes grew wide. "You mean Eban was wight? You…"

Remus looked at her, his turn to be confused. Then he remembered what Rosier had said about him being a eunuch, or a 'poof'. He started to laugh. "_Lindi_…"

"You yike _bokes_?" she asked in a rather higher pitched voice than normal.

He laughed all the harder. "_No_. For the love of Godric, Lindi, don't you understand?"

"NO, no I _don'_! Why?" She started to look hysterical, as if her mind was incapable of processing these facts. He stopped laughing, because her distress was not at all funny. "If you aren'—then why don' you wan me—whas wong with me?"

"_Nothing_."

"Then _why_? Why don'choo wan'me? I thoughtchoo wanted me." Her eyes filled with tears.

She was sitting there on the edge of the cushions, still a gorgeous mess, and he knew he'd never want anything so much again in his entire life.

"Aw, Lindi," he said. "I want you so much I can hardly breathe."

She made an odd sound between a choke and a gasp and blinked, not once but twice, shaking her head as though she couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"Wha? But, I don' unnerstan. It doesn' make sense. If you wanned me, then why'djoo dump me? Jus because I wasn' weady to-" She waved that hand around. "Why wouldn' joo wait?"

"I would wait for you until the end of all things."

Watching her sit there, tears falling down her perfect cheek, that hair more mussed than ever, the strap of her gown still hanging off that smooth shoulder, the bodice of it dipping even lower and revealing a bit more of what he knew was that Black Magic corset, and the cleavage under it… Oh, he really, _really_ hoped he wouldn't have to wait that long.

But he would if he had to.

"Please don't cry, Lindi," he said as she burst into sobs. He walked over and sat on a cushion beside her. "Please don't cry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"I," she gasped. "Don' unner, (hic) stan."

"I know. It's my fault. I handled it very poorly."

"Poory?" she gasped out the words, "You. Boke. My. _Heart_." She took a ragged breath before continuing, "An I. Don'. Know. _Why_. I thought. You. Yoved. Me."

"I do," he said, and she actually wailed, coming completely unhinged. He twisted around and grabbed her by the face forcing her to look into his. "Lindi, calm down. Do you hear me? Listen to me."

She stopped wailing, but continued to make noisy rasping gasps, her shoulders jerking with each one. This was not the way he would have liked to tell her this, but he, of all people, realized that life didn't always play out according to the script one might have written for oneself. It might not be the perfect scene from a great love story, but it was his love story.

"Do you hear me?" he asked again.

She nodded, still gulping for air.

"Then listen to me. I love you, Lindi. God help you, but I love you more than anything on this earth. I never meant to hurt you."

There was a deep crease between her eyes. "Then, _why_?" she sobbed.

"Because I wanted what is best for you, and I'm not good enough. I can't give you what you need and I wanted to let you have a chance to find someone who could."

"Tha's juss supid. Why woul'joo say that? I don' wan' anyone else!" And she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest with such force he almost fell backwards.

As she started sobbing again, he couldn't help smiling, though he was torn between feeling the same concern that had caused him to break up with her in the first place, and being so blissfully happy to have her in his arms again.

He knew he had to tell her the rest of the truth or this moment of sheer bliss would be tainted, but he let himself enjoy it for a few minutes, while letting her calm down. As the sobs slowed and the gasping breaths came farther apart, he prayed this wouldn't be the last time he ever held her, took a bracing breath and started.

"I know you think you love me, Lindi, but you don't know who I really am."

She took a little ragged breath, and sniffled, but let him talk.

"I'm not the man you think. I—I love you. That is the truth, but I haven't told you the whole truth. I should have told you months ago, but…"

She twitched and sniffled again, but didn't interrupt.

"I want you so much, but if you stay with me, you'll be-people wouldn't approve. They'd shun you, and I couldn't stand that, but I can't help myself. I love you." He knew he was rambling but he couldn't quite bring himself to come out with it. He kept trying. "But I'm afraid-I don't know if you can accept this. You might hate me, after what happened to Will…But you have to know." He took a deep breath. "Lindi, I'm a-a werewolf."

There. He'd said it. He waited to let the news sink in, expecting her to shove him away. To shriek in terror, anything…

But she didn't. Had she not understood him? Was she in shock?

"Oh, for the love of Godric. You have got to be kidding me," he said out loud. "This has got to be a joke. _Lindi_!"

She made a little snorting noise and snuggled into his chest.

Sound asleep…

* * *

_A/N: Muwahahahahahahah ahem *cough* Well, he told her. . *runs*_


End file.
